White Rabbit
by Hack.Drawer
Summary: Two childhood friends are caught up in a storm of adventure and self-discovery when The White Rabbit enters their peaceful lives. As he gets older and learns what syndicates actually are, the pill entices Sanji into a whole new world, one where Caterpillars demand revenge, The Queen of Hearts prevents aging, and a Chesire cat plays dangerously with others. * AU * OOC *COMPLETED*
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I saw a picture on Pixiv. And scenes popped up. I probably won't take this seriously enough to continue it. It'll probably turn into a weird fic because I listened to this song (Grace and the Nocturnals) on repeat one day, while lifting furiously.

 **Chapter One:**

 **One Pill Makes You Larger**

The sun was bright overhead, insects chirring noisily in the trees. The streets were peacefully calm, and traffic was light. The sidewalks were busy with meandering pedestrians, with open markets on full display. The apartment complex was grand, beautiful, and made for money. It gave its occupants enough room to park, and spectacular sound proof walls. It was also secure in that the halls, stairways, and the outside fenced in park were safe for the occupants' children to wander freely.

It was after school, and Law was walking the stairway up to his apartment. Backpack on and a knee freshly bandaged after an intense game of kickball, he was holding the latest edition of a biweekly manga series in one hand and a large Mountain Dew in the other. He was a serious kid, with too serious amber eyes and a frown. He wore his animal fur hat too low, and had to lift his chin high if he had to look up and address anybody, giving him a snobby appearance. Most of the time, he was spewing angry words and giving defiant expressions, which made him less than popular with his peers, but he didn't care. If he had to be alone at the end of the day, at least he had his manga and anime to entertain him.

"For lunch _only_!" Corazon had exclaimed that morning, waving around a twenty dollar bill. He had a cigarette dangling from his mouth, his wavy hair sticking up at the back of his head, and he was wearing his favorite heart shirt with white shorts.

"Buy yourself dinner, because we'll be home late," his brother, Doflamingo, had said grimly. His blond hair was spiky, his black shirt and red capris garish, and he had a suspicious sauce stain on the corner of his mouth. He barely looked up from his cellphone. "Oh, and I ate all the Hot Pockets for breakfast."

"I hope you both die in a car crash," Law had told them, leaving the apartment with a slam of the door.

Law slurped loudly on his soda, rounding a landing and walking up, eager to sit down, finish his homework, and read the latest adventures of Pike-Bike Man. Then he stopped short because the stairs were blocked by a girl with a short ponytail and a flowy white shirt, capri pants, and a sick pair of boots. What made it even more awkward was the Easy Bake oven she was playing with.

When she turned to look at him, her wide blue eyes widened, and she formed an 'o' with her mouth.

'Hello! Welcome back!' she said excitedly, but Law had no idea what she said. Her language was much different from his.

He blinked, lowering his soda. She was covered with flour, had cupcake sprinkles on her hands, and a dab of chocolate at the side of her mouth. Her project took up three steps, and he needed all three. The flowy white shirt turned out to be an apron over a bibbed sailor shirt.

"Wow, your momma dresses you funny," Law said.

She tilted her head, giving a friendly smile, but it was obvious she didn't know what he'd said.

So he leaned down at said with much exaggeration, " _Your momma dresses you funny_."

She held up a plastic plate with an eager smile, a tiny cake with carefully applied chocolate frosting and sprinkles. 'Eh? Eh? Snack?'

Law looked at it, then at the little girl. He shrugged because Doflamingo ate all the damn Hot Pockets. Shuffling his soda to the arm holding his book, he took the plate. Then dumped it carefully into his mouth. He chewed once, then spat it out with a curse. She stared up at him with horror, face frozen, mouth hanging open.

"Tastes like shitty cow pies. Get out of the way," he then said, stepping around her mess and using the railing to pull himself around the Easy Bake Oven and make it to the top. He looked back, and kicked the plates she had piled by the toy down the stairs. "And clean up your mess, brat."

She stared at him with huge blue eyes, looking moments near tears. Feeling satisfied that he made his point, Law continued his way to his apartment, chuckling.

The next day, he was feeling confident in passing today's math quiz, he had a new book, and there had been a food fight in the cafeteria that allowed him to steal off with some of his classmate's chips and plastic wrapped desserts, which he intended on eating for dinner. He walked up the stairs, eager to finish his homework and catch that week's newest episode of 'Pike-Bike Man: Evolution'.

Only this time, that small girl from yesterday was sitting on the steps, obviously waiting for him. She had a determined expression, and once she saw him, she rose straight up with a plate in hand. Law looked around cautiously, shifting his backpack from one shoulder to the other.

Then he looked down at the plate she held up with both hands, offering it to him with an expression that told him she'd made it for him.

He sneered at it. "Again with the shitty food? I don't want it! Beat it!"

Her face reddened, and she insisted that he take it with a shove of the plate in his direction. He narrowed his eyes at her, and then crossed his arms tight over his chest. She took a step down – she was wearing that silly apron, with another bibbed shirt, long socks and blue shorts. Her hair was frizzy around her face, pulled into the same ponytail as yesterday.

When he moved to walk around her, she moved with him.

Finally, he took the plate, and took a cautious bite. It wasn't that bad – but he didn't like the crunch it made when he chewed. He looked at it suspiciously, and realized it had nuts in it. He spat it on the stairs, then tossed the plate over his shoulder. She once again looked at him with a horrified expression.

"Tastes like shit! I hate nuts! Nuts are for homos!" he snapped at her. "That's what my uncle always says."

'Bastard!'

"…I don't think I like that word. That sounds like a mean word. I might have to kick you down the stairs, little girl, so get out of my way, and quit giving me shitty food to eat!" he growled, fist up.

She bared her tiny teeth, looking furious. But she turned and ran up the rest of the stairway, fists pumping hard. When he heard the slam of a door, he chuckled and continued on his way up. He looked down the hall where he'd heard the door shut, wondering which one she belonged to. When he went home, Corazon looked at him happily and immediately demanded to know why he was smiling.

The next day, Law anticipated seeing the little girl again. He wondered what she had planned for today, and felt a little let down when he didn't see her. He even lingered in the area, listening and waiting, but when he realized what he was doing, he continued on home.

For two days, Law expected to run into that little girl again. But he was disappointed every time. Saturday, he left the stuffy apartment and went outside, carrying a bag full of library books. He intended on walking through the park, taking a path that Corazon could watch him from the window from, but once he got to the little kids' playground along the sidewalk, he spotted the little girl sitting on the swings, staring morosely at some kids playing basketball.

She was without her apron. In fact, her hair was down, wild, and her socks were mismatched. Her brown shorts and yellow top with a high collar looked dirty. She turned and looked in his direction, and scowled at him. Before he could say anything, she flipped him off.

"Hey!" he exclaimed. "Little brat! What'd I do?"

'Bastard!' she snapped, falling off the swing and running towards the apartment side entrance. Law watched her go with a shocked expression. Then he flipped her off as well. He pulled his hand in and looked up towards the window that belonged to him, and imagined Corazon pounding on it with an indignant scolding. Sure enough, his cellphone rang, and he heaved an exasperated sigh as he answered it, the man bawling him out for the rude gesture.

When Monday came, Law was slurping at another Mountain Dew and he was examining a movie poster for the latest Pike-Bike Man movie that he really wanted to see when he realized he was being followed. He looked back with a startled burp and saw the little girl following him with another determined expression. Her ponytail was back, but she was wearing overalls, boots and oven mitts that fit her entire arm. She was holding a hot platter of cupcakes that looked pretty well done. They even had balloons in the center of them.

Arms shaking, she lifted them up and insisted that he take one.

The colors were nice. The smell was tantalizing. And he liked teasing the brat.

"Okay, but if it sucks, I'm punching you," he warned her, taking one from the middle. He glared at her, and she glared back, watching him take a cautious bite. He paused in mid-chew, and her face filled with color, just daring him to react. He looked at the cupcake with surprise, then took another bite. The flavors were just right.

He took two more, balancing them in one hand, holding the movie poster under his chin. He pointed at her with one finger. "I have been pleased, today. But no more chocolate!"

She looked at him with utter joy once she realized he was complimenting her. She turned and ran awkwardly down the stairs, shouting for her 'Papa!'

"Stupid kid," Law muttered, finishing off the cupcake and wondering if he should even share with his father and his uncle. He decided not to. He stuffed them both into his mouth and continued on home, chewing awkwardly.

The next day, she was waiting for him at the top of the stairs, a tray of finger snacks on her lap. When she saw him, she stood up, once again determined to show off her culinary skill. When he drew closer, he saw that the shapes were cut into stars, a half moon, and what looked to be a sun. They were cut from apples, olives, bananas and what looked like baked bread rolls.

"That's _nasty_ ," he told her, reaching out and slapping the moon and star shaped bread to the floor. Before he even had a chance to step back, she threw the entire tray at him with a furious curse, then hit him. She then turned and ran off, sniffling, and Law looked down at the mess caused. He did feel a little bad. It probably took her a long time to cut those pieces. For a five year old, the kid was pretty talented. He could barely cut shapes into a straight line.

His conscious debated with him on whether or not to continue home, or clean up. He went straight home.

The next day, when he neared her floor, he saw her playing at the end of the hall, tongue between her lips as she used a rather sharp knife to coil apple skin to the floor. His natural reaction was to stop her, but she was concentrating so hard on her task that he felt he'd wind up doing the thing he wanted to stop. Once she was finished, she examined the apple with a proud expression, then bit into it with a loud crunch. When she noticed him standing there, she flipped him off.

"You little brat!" he exclaimed. He then stomped off towards home, annoyed that he even paid attention to her.

That evening, he and Corazon were walking in from the street outside, carrying bags of takeout and Redbox movies.

Corazon hated taking the stairs – he enjoyed the elevator the most. Once they entered, though, a burly hand reached out and held the doors, and Law scowled because he hated sharing the small space with people he didn't know. The man entering the elevator held the little girl in one arm, and a full bag of fresh vegetables, fruit, a covered platter of cooked meat and freshly cooked bread in the other. The smells were heavenly.

"Is that a roast?" Corazon asked, visibly drooling.

Law made a face at the girl, who flipped him off. He couldn't resist the gesture back.

Both adult men looked at them with shock, and Corazon slapped his hand to his side with an embarrassed expression, the elderly man looking at Law with a terribly intimidating scowl.

" _I'm so sorry_! I'm so sorry, that was extremely _incredibly_ rude of him! I swear, we're working on him! He's just a little boy, he - !"

"Forget it. Mine's a brat, too," the man said, his voice rich with an accent. As the elevator ascended with a cheery ding at each floor, he said, "I've been working on his manners, but he's a mind of his own."

"Hmm? Excuse me? 'Him'?" Corazon repeated, taking in the boy's ponytail, pink shirt and long socks with black loafers.

"Hah! She's a 'he'? What a little _girl_! Hey, Cora, this kid has been getting pissed at me when she – _he_ – gives me shitty food!" Law said, tugging on his sweater.

"So _you're_ the one he's been feeding? Driven him to obsession, you have, trying to please a brat like you," the man said. "I told him to let it go, you can't please everyone, but he was determined to do it. Ah, well. You've got to let kids be what they want, right?"

"To a certain degree," Corazon said weakly, as Law mouthed 'homo' to the boy. Corazon slapped Law across the head once he saw the old man's face shift with a hugely intimidating frown. Once they reached their floor, the old man left it, and Corazon looked hungrily at the bag he took with him, missing seeing the little boy use both hands to flip off Law.

When the doors closed, Corazon looked at their bags of takeout, moaning.

The next day, when Law saw the _boy_ sitting on the stairs with a tray, he stood at the bottom and stared at him with his hands on his hips. The boy set his lips and glared, fists curling tightly over the handles of the tray.

"What'd you make today, little _girl_?" he sneered. "And it better not have bread in it. Why don't you be useful and make something a little manlier? Instead of all this sweet shit?"

The boy held his tray up with a determined expression, and Law took the few steps necessary to examine his choices. There were rice balls and what looked to be a tiny plate of snack meats, sliced into stars and cat faces, and the carrots and cucumbers were clumsily carved into small flowers and spirals. There were even two little hotdogs shaped into octopi atop of the rice cakes.

For once, words left him. He looked at the little boy again.

'Well? Bastard! Eat!' he demanded, and Law wished that they spoke the same language, because he swore that that word the kid was using to address him with was a bad one.

He picked up one of the hotdogs and ate it. It didn't taste like a hot dog. Not the kind that Doflamingo blew up in the microwave, or the kind that Corazon stuffed him with when they hit the baseball field. It was richer, more flavorful, spicy – he looked down at the tray, and instead of taking another selection, he snatched it from the boy's hands.

"I'll give it back tomorrow," he said, running off with it, much to the boy's horrified expression. He started to give chase until he realized Law was eating some of it on his way up to his apartment, so he stopped and gave a tired exhale, hand on his hips.

The next day, before he went to school, Law left the tray near the stairway he usually met the boy. He did hope that he had the same things served to him when he came back.

That afternoon, he met Corazon in the lobby, and he looked rather happy, Doflamingo muttering as he examined several horse betting tickets in one hand, cellphone in the other.

"We're going on a trip, Law!" Corazon said merrily. "Time to get out of this place, go relax, and enjoy the sun!"

"I hope you packed your floaties with you, because I'm not saving either of you when you hit the kiddie pools," Doflamingo said crankily.

" _The kiddie pools_! Law!"

"I'm too old for that shit!"

"But not for fun! Let's go! Private jet to the biggest island out there!" Corazon said, tripping over the suitcases Doflamingo had been standing by, sprawling over the floor while Law looked around with embarrassment. Doflamingo ripped up his tickets with an angry curse, tossing paper overhead with dramatics.

When they came back nearly a week later, both Corazon and Law were painfully sunburnt. Corazon had been stung by jellyfish, attacked by a nurse shark and was limping because he'd twisted his ankle water skiing. Law could barely move because his back and shoulders were sunburnt, and Doflamingo was dragging his suitcase behind him, examining lottery tickets and his phone at the same time.

When they waited for an elevator, Doflamingo looked at Corazon with alarm. "Where are your suitcases?"

Law wanted to cry as Corazon looked around them with a puzzled expression, expecting them to be there. Law couldn't even remember the last time he'd seen them. Doflamingo cursed, ripping up his lottery tickets and throwing the paper around them, the elevator signaling its arrival. Before they could walk in, the old man was walking out with a large platter of cooked meat, all three of them drooling hungrily as the smells hit them.

The little boy was carrying a suitcase with a cartoon character on it, wearing a uniform, and he looked at them all with judgment. When he saw Law, he flipped him off.

"You little brat!" Law snapped, but his face hurt, so he couldn't look quite as mean.

"Corazon, make friends with them immediately," Doflamingo said, snapping his fingers. "Be as pitiful as possible. It'd be good to have neighbors who can take pity on us."

"That'll be easy," Corazon grumbled, shuffling onto the elevator, tripping once Doflamingo stepped on his heel.

When Monday came, Law trudged up the stairway with his backpack over one shoulder, his manga in one hand, and a Mountain Dew in the other. He looked up to see the boy sitting on the stairway, rising hastily to his feet with a notecard in hand.

He cleared his throat and said slowly, "You are invited to dinner. Five o clock. Bring your daddies."

"One dad, one uncle. Not 'daddies'. They're not – oh. Wait, for real? You're inviting us to dinner?" Law asked, unaware that he was drooling already.

Then he looked at Law with a pleased expression, beaming with accomplishment. Law snatched the card from him, and read the information for himself. He scowled at the boy. "Fine. Five o'clock."

The boy grinned at him, then ran off, calling for his 'Papa!' again.

But when Law arrived at his home, Doflamingo and Corazon were packing hastily, looking terribly stressed.

"Sorry kiddo, but we've got to leave the area for a bit," Corazon said to him, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Now, let's get a move on! We have got to catch the four o'clock!"

"You did it again, didn't you, asshole?" Law asked Doflamingo with a venomous glare.

"You win some, you lose some!" he replied with a careless laugh. "Now, let's go! We got ten minutes to get out of here, or else we're swimming in the river with all else crap that's in there!"

"I hope we all die in a plane crash!"

When they all stumbled to the elevator with as much of their things they could carry, Law tried to look for the little boy, but he knew he wouldn't be seeing him anytime soon. With a regretful frown, he stayed close to Doflamingo because Corazon was capable of tripping and sending them all sprawling.

: :

When they returned to the city three years later, they found an apartment in the same complex, just a higher floor. Doflamingo had tripled their worth, and had settled all his problems, and had assured them that there was no trouble this time around. By the time the movers had left, Law was bored out of his mind and he was sulking in his room because he had to make friends all over again – at least his new school was going to be a private one. He played games on his phone for awhile, then decided to walk the area to get to know it again.

He wandered narrow streets with their open sidewalks – taking in the fresh food stands, the stores with brilliant posters in the windows, the arcade with a mixture of students and delinquents from the area – then went and bought a few manga from the bookstore that expanded their shop. On his way back to the complex, he bought some candy from a corner seller. He was eating that when he walked the stairway – new carpeting! – and realized he was being watched. He lowered his book and looked up with the candy hanging from his mouth, seeing the boy standing atop of the stairs.

He looked like a boy, now. Hair cut short, boyish features proudly defined, skinny arms and legs covered with bruises and bandages and scrapes that looked like road rash. He was wearing plaid shorts, a pristine white shirt and long socks with loafers.

Law snorted, saying, "Where's my snack, brat?"

" _Where have you been_?"

"Who the hell are you to keep track of me?"

"Were you that intimidated by my grandfather that all of you would move away to escape his wrath?"

"Oh, _that's_ your grandpa? Did he kick the bucket, yet? He was hella old and weird when I last saw him," Law said, taking the next few steps up so that he was looming over the boy. "And who the hell are you to be talking to your elder like this? Go change your diaper, brat!"

"I'm Sanji, and I don't wear diapers."

"Your name's stupid. It sounds as stupid as that stupid eyebrow of yours. Look at my uniform. It's a private school. Which means I'm above you, you wannabe girl."

"I go to the same school, bastard. Elementary side! I saw you when our classes switched out from the cafeteria. You didn't even see me say 'hi' because your face was in a book."

"Why would I say 'hi' to a brat like you? That's just weird. You're a weird kid. Go play with your oven and die in it."

"You are so rude! It's a pity my Papa said I have to be nice to you," Sanji snapped, glaring up at him.

Law gave him an outraged snarl. "A 'pity'? Why would we need your stupid 'pity'?"

"Because he said one day we're going to wake up and there's going to be police all over because someone will shoot you guys all dead in your beds, and so I have to be nice because you're just a kid."

Law stared at him for a few moments, then laughed. "What a dumb ass! Your old man said that? _Hah_!"

"Isn't it true?"

"Yeah, actually, it's true. But we don't need your pity. You should be grateful. One day, _both_ of you will be working for us! No more Hot Pockets for us! So I better see you at this same time tomorrow, _with_ more snacks. Maybe I'll save a job for you as my slave."

"And maybe I'll just end up kicking your ass!"

"What are _you_ going to do, little _girl_?" Law asked with a snort, and did not see the loafer coming at his face until it made connection with it.

When he woke up, Sanji was looking down at him guiltily, his 'Papa' standing nearby with a solemn frown.

"He's alive. Next time, don't aim for the jaw. Aim here," he said to Sanji, touching his gut. He walked away, shaking his head. "That should do it."

Law rubbed his face, sitting up with a stunned expression. He had no idea what happened just now, but his head ached. Sanji looked at him with worry, hands on his mouth, and then he bowed deep.

"I didn't mean to kick your ass for real," he said solemnly. "As a bigger kid, I thought you'd be a lot stronger than that."

"Hell with you! I hate you, brat! As soon as I see you tomorrow at school, I'm going to beat you up in front of everybody!" Law exclaimed, rising to his feet, stumbling. He felt woozy, and Sanji caught him before he could fall down the stairs.

In the end, Sanji helped him to his apartment, and Doflamingo was the one to open his door and see them standing there.

"Ah! You're home! And what happened to your face?" Doflamingo asked curiously, as Law shoved Sanji aside with a humiliated expression and barged in. He collapsed halfway in, Corazon dropping his Hot Pocket with a mild shriek. "What the hell?"

"I accidently kicked him," Sanji said hastily, bowing again. "Please don't shoot me."

" _'Shoot you'_? What? Wait, how can you 'accidently' kick a guy – never mind. Law! Get up! Corazon ate the last Hot Pocket, again! We have to make a run to catch the taco truck that's supposed to be coming by, in negative _two_ minutes!"

"I did not! And you can't make time _negative_!" Corazon cried as Doflamingo shut the door and Sanji nervously ran away.

The next day, Sanji waited there with a plate and a hand written card of apology. When he saw Law coming up the stairs, he stood quickly. "Welcome back," he said anxiously.

"You're lucky I didn't see you at school, today," Law growled at him, removing his backpack. "But you better run! Because as soon as I get you, I'm going to kick your ass!"

"I said I was sorry! It was your fault for provoking me!"

"'My fault'? That's it! You better run!"

When Law chased him back to his apartment, he returned to grab his backpack. He frowned down at the plate with artfully arranged veggie animal and floral shapes, an apple cut into a rose, a slab of sliced snack meats. He grabbed it and ate a few things, looking at the card with a sullen frown.

On it was a simple crayon drawing of the sun, some buildings and a kid walking on the sidewalk. It said in careful cursive, "I'm sorry." On the inside, 'Not, go fuck yourself.'

He threw the card in the air, tossed the plate and the contents. Then he picked the card back up with a snarl, running back to the boy's apartment. He began pounding on it with both hands and feet.

"You open up this door right now, you bratty kid! What the hell kind of apology is this? Who teaches this kind of language to kids? You suck! Open up!"

When the door opened, it wasn't the boy that peered out. It was a tall older man with a peg-leg, a long handlebar mustache braided evenly at the corners of his mouth, and a weathered face that looked as if he were alive for centuries. He looked as if he'd been sleeping, and when he glared down at Law, Law immediately retreated from the doorway with a remorseful expression.

But he held the card up, saying, "He wrote this!"

"Looks like an apology," the old man grumbled, reading the front. When Law opened it, he sputtered. He grabbed the card from him and roared, " _Sanji_!"

"You said to be truthful!" Sanji's angry voice rang out.

"This language -! You know what to do, you damned shitty brat! For this, you can do _fifty_ of them, to start!" The old man returned his attention back to Law as Sanji cried out with a whine. Moments, later, Law heard a thump, followed by a sullen, "One…"

"I apologize. But next time, you come and knock on the door _politely_. I'll let this go. Here, come in. You look like you could use a snack."

Law hesitated. But the smells from the apartment were heavenly, as if he were walking into an expensive restaurant. When he walked in, it was impossibly clean. There weren't any food stains on the carpet, no clothing lying around, no guns taped under furniture – he even crouched to look, causing the old man to look at him funny – and the kitchen was much grander than theirs. All around him were neatly hung pots and pants, with shiny utensils, matching dishware, real plants, and a large tray of freshly decorated sugar cookies.

The old man whipped him up something cold to drink, and decorated it with fruit kebobs. When he plucked out a couple of cookies from the selection, he then coaxed Law into following him into the nearby dining room, which was just as grand. Once seated at the table, the old man taking his hat and backpack from him, Law had stuffed one cookie in and was slurping at the drink moments later. The old man looked at him with vague disgust.

"No table manners, huh?"

"Doffy said to hurry up and eat because he's going to eat my share. So I eat fast. There's no time for manners," Law said, but it was only muffled noises that caused him to spray cookie crumbs over his plate.

"I'm going to get ready to leave. You may leave after you've finished. My name is Zeff, by the way. And you are…?"

"Law. 6F."

"The penthouse level, nice. Then your family must be doing well?"

"Doffy said he fixed all his 'loose ends' before we re-entered the country, so I think we're good."

Zeff gave him a puzzled look, then shrugged. "Okay. Well, none of my business."

Law ate the other cookie, chewing awkwardly. "Where do you work?"

"At the restaurant two blocks away. You fellows should come in, sometime. I'm sure you're all tired of those nasty freezer foods and overly greasy, salty takeout."

"Can I have another one?"

"Sure. Those are Sanji's. He made them for his class, tomorrow, because one of those idiots he hangs out wanted a reward for some competition he'd won over the weekend."

"Never mind, then. Not to be considerate, but I didn't know he made them. He made me mad."

Zeff eyed him as he slurped up the rest of his drink, causing the old man to wince. He reached out and pulled the straw from his mouth. " _Clearly_ , it's empty. I'll refill it."

 _This is so neat_! Law thought happily, looking around himself, feeling sated from the cookies and the sweet drink. When Zeff returned, he had a small plate of meat, cheeses and bread rolls that were still steaming. "Take this to your daddies. I'm sure they're hungry, too."

"Dad Corazon, _Uncle_ Doffy. I don't know why people keep assuming they're married."

"Brothers don't usually live with each other this long."

"Who should they live with?" Law asked curiously, straw to mouth as he waited for an answer.

" _Indeed_ ," Zeff said aloud, looking over as Sanji walked in, giving Law a disgusted look.

"Why are you giving him my cookies? He doesn't deserve them! I didn't make them for him!" he growled.

"Can I have another one?" Law asked Zeff, just to piss Sanji off.

"I'm going to get ready for work, Sanji. Finish your homework, and I'll send someone to retrieve you in two hours so that you may help out," Zeff said patiently, retrieving another cookie and giving it to Law as Sanji watched with a shocked expression. "I didn't hear you get to fifty, by the way."

"I'll finish them after he leaves!"

"Finish what?" Law asked curiously, taking smaller bites.

"Have a good day, 6F. And I apologize again."

When Zeff walked away, Sanji looked up at Law, glaring at him.

"Why are you all sweaty?" Law asked. "It's gross. Have you discovered your special purpose already? Pervert."

" _What_?"

"You have a nice place. No one would ever suspect that a kid lives here with his old man."

"Zeff likes it sparkling clean. I like it sparkling clean. We're both clean people."

"Not us. Cora tries to keep it clean, but Doffy always forgets and he's always on his phone, so he leaves stuff everywhere. He finally hired a maid but the maid got scared and never came back. As long as they leave my room alone. All my manga finally came in, and I arranged it according to series and interest. Do you read, shitty little kid? Or do you even know how?"

"Stupid. Of course I do! Um, I do like cookbooks. I like books about food. Do you want to see my favorite book?"

" _Boring_! No."

"Then why are you still here? Go away!"

"What kind of cartoons do you watch, here?" Law then asked, looking for the tv. When he didn't see it, he looked back at Sanji, finally finishing off the last cookie.

"We don't watch television."

" _You don't have a tv_?"

"No."

"You don't have cable?"

"No, you shit bastard!"

"So you don't watch cartoons?"

" _No_."

"My favorite show is coming on, soon. Come with me. It's better than any book you have."

"I have homework."

"Bring it with you! Jeez."

Law left his mess, grabbing his hat and backpack, and Sanji hastily cleaned up the mess as Law made his way to his door. By the time they'd reached his home, Sanji looked as if he were making a bad decision. When Corazon opened the door, he looked at Sanji with delighted action, then frowned.

"Why are you bringing a small kid home? Did he get lost?" he asked Law as they walked in, Sanji looking around with awe – and disgust, once he stepped on something squishy. He moved to pick it up when something caught his eye, and he saw the Uzi taped to the hall table. His mouth dropped open, and Corazon hastily stood in front of it with a nervous expression.

Law handed him the snack tray that Zeff had given him, and Corazon looked like he was going to weep.

"This little asshole doesn't have tv. I'm going to show him 'Super Mouse Man: Redemption'," Law said, then dropping his hat and backpack to the floor and wandering off in search of the remote.

"I'm Sanji, 4K," Sanji said politely, bowing his head in front of Corazon. "It's nice to meet you."

"I'm Corazon – you can call me Cora, if you'd like! Are you Law's friend from school? Are you one of those super geniuses that have to skip a grade?" Corazon asked him, leading him away from the hall and into the 'man cave' – as Doffy put it. Then he tripped, dropping the tray onto the floor with a shocked gasp.

Sanji waited until the man composed himself, feeling bad for him because he looked at the dirtied food with such loss. "No, I'm a regular student. I'm eight."

" _'Eight'_?" Corazon repeated, looking at him with horror as he rose from the floor, rubbing the back of his head. Sanji wondered why – he'd hit knees first when he tripped. "You didn't kidnap him, did you, Law? You shouldn't listen to Doffy when he talks about taking in minions! He's not serious!"

" _No_! Doffy always says to return a favor, so I'm returning a favor! Sanji's old man gave me cookies, so I'm showing him this show."

"' _Cookies'_? What old man? Did you eat them? Do you – you don't feel any which way, do you?" Corazon asked, fretting around him. " _Law_! Don't take food from people you don't know!"

"How is that different from take out? I don't know half the bastards that we buy stuff from!"

Sanji was in awe of the man cave. It had a massive super LED smart tv with a booming sound system, a massive half circle couch that was centered in front of the television, and several game systems stacked neatly in a compartment shelf nearby, with all the accessories and games on display in an ornate hutch above it. His mouth fell open, not noticing Corazon as he hastily went about, removing various weaponry from the cushions, tables and even magazine racks until his arms were full. Then he hurried off to a room, tossed it all inside, and shut the door with a frozen smile.

Law found the remote and turned the tv on, and the sound system blasted him with the last channel's content, Sanji covering his face and head as the air vibrated with some music video.

"They still play these?" Law shouted over the noise, turning it down and switching the channel.

"Are you a housewife?" Sanji asked Corazon curiously.

"What a thing to say! I'm a busy man! Like I'd wait on anybody hand and foot!" Corazon exclaimed, hands on his hips. "Would you like something to eat? Drink? I just came back from the Costco."

At the theme song that blasted from the speakers, Sanji looked over at the tv. He was in awe at the graphics, the multi-colored blast animation, the catchy theme. He wandered away from Corazon to sit on the couch furthest from Law, captivated by the content. Law grinned brightly at him, and turned it up some, because Corazon was grumbling about ransom notes and mini-apprentices.

The next day, on his way back from school, Law saw Sanji sitting atop the rock wall near the playground, looking sullenly at the ground. He shifted direction and walked over, adjusting his backpack from one arm to the other, holding a book in one hand.

"What's wrong with you, kid?" he asked, looking up at him. "Are you still sad by the fact that you don't have a tv? Walk out into traffic if it'll make you feel better."

"I made cookies for my friend, and he didn't like them," Sanji said. "He said he hates sweet things."

"So?"

"And then everyone called me a 'homo'."

"That's what you get."

"I don't even know what that means!"

"It means you like guys, dumbass!"

"Well, I do! That's why I hang out with them!"

Law looked up at him with a horrified look, then said, "Like, like- _like_ guys? Like Yuki from Mouse Man?"

"What? No! I meant, I'd rather play sports with them because they're stronger and faster and I don't like to lose!"

"Oh."

"And I love girls, a little too much," Sanji said with a blush. "They're so pretty, they smell nice, and they have such nice accessories!"

Law gave him a skeptical look. "Even that sounds weird, creep."

"But none of them want to be my girlfriend. I've asked every one of them."

"Well, you're _eight_ , so..."

"I know I'm going to marry the most beautiful girl in the world, and we're going to have three kids, and she'll be a model and I'll be a world famous chef like my Papa, and we're going to live in a house with a white fence and have a dog named Momo and - !"

"Okay, that's too weird for me. Who even thinks about that sort of thing? I don't."

"You don't like girls?"

"I do!"

"Prove it! Which one's your girlfriend?"

"I don't have one! I'm too busy," Law said with a haughty sniff, blushing faintly.

Sanji gave him a skeptical look, kicking his heels against the rock wall.

"Okay. Shut up. I'm not interested in any of them in my class. They wear all this shiny stuff and make their skirts too short and they laugh and talk about you like you're not even there. And none of them like Super Mouse Man! Plus, they all make fun of my hat and call me a creep and they're too scared to talk to me because of stupid Doffy and Cora."

" _Oh no_!"

"Are you mocking me? I'll kick your ass!"

"Well, if you want a girlfriend, you're going about it all wrong. I can help you."

"Am I taking the advice of a freaking third grader? Why am I still here?" Law exclaimed, turning to walk away. Then he paused and flipped him off. "Where's my snack?"

"I was too busy moping to make you anything!"

"Oh, yeah. Your friend didn't like your cookies."

"His name is Zoro. He has green hair. He said he doesn't need school because he's going to wander the world, kicking people's asses with his _shinai_. Three of them. He tried to take them to class, but the teacher makes him put them away."

"I saw that kid, before. He was sitting in our class for a long time before the teacher kicked him out. He said his class moved when he went to the bathroom."

"He's an idiot," Sanji laughed. "He always gets lost! But he's a good fighter, and we fight each other all the time. Papa says that martial artists who fight each other all the time are good friends, so we're good friends."

"'Martial arts'? You?"

"Papa has been teaching me capoeira and savate. You don't need your hands for either."

"What is that?"

"I'm not that good, but - !" Sanji jumped down from the wall, and then assumed a wide stance before launching into a handstand. Law stared, mouth dropping open. Very slowly and carefully, Sanji kicked his legs up and down, maintaining the rigid position. "This is a bananira. I had to do these yesterday."

From there he twisted his legs around and down, shifting fluidly from one movement to the next, feet swiping out. "This is an Au, and this is macaco."

" _Wow_!" Law exclaimed, clapping his hands. "That's so cool! Your old man can do that, too? No way!"

"He's amazing!" Sanji said, jumping back to his feet. "I'm getting better at blocking his kicks, now!"

At the flutter of money over his head, Law looked up and over, seeing Doflamingo and Corazon standing there. Corazon looked excited, and Doflamingo was the one throwing dollar bills.

"Do something else!" Corazon cheered.

"I demand to see more," Doflamingo said. "Do it on a moving car, make it interesting."

Red faced, Law snapped at them, " _Do you mind_? You guys are so embarrassing!"

"We need to hurry along, Law! The taco truck will be coming here, soon, and we need to get there before that old broad from 4A does! She always takes all the sauce."

"See you later, Sanji! Don't forget my snack tomorrow, either!" Law said, pulling his backpack back on as Doflamingo picked up his dollar bills and stuffed them back into his pocket.

Sanji waved, then walked off, feeling better in that someone appreciated his efforts.

The next day, Sanji enjoyed a cup of fruit drink while Law snacked on a rice ball, both of them sitting on the rock wall, watching various kids come in from their schools throughout the area. A couple of them made to say something, but one look from Law made them hurry on, and it wasn't until the snacks were gone when Corazon walked up with a heavy bag from Whole Foods, looking up at them with a happy smile.

"Hi, you two! How was school?" he asked cheerfully, cigarette held in one hand.

"It wasn't all that great, but I can't complain about my grades," Sanji answered. He reached into his shirt pocket and withdrew a plastic wrapped cookie. "I saved you one, Mr. Cora!"

Corazon dropped everything in his hand to reach for it, Law wincing at the sound of eggs cracking. "Ah! Thank you! That's so sweet! Home-made?"

"You're so embarrassing! Don't look so happy taking a cookie from a kid! You're an old man, it probably looks creepy!" he admonished, looking around.

"Says the thirteen year old, hanging out with an eight year old, eating and drinking snacks like old men," Corazon said, eating the cookie with a single bite. "This is so good! Can you make more?"

"I can!" Sanji answered, grinning wide. "I'm glad you like it!"

"So, listen, Law – we're having guests over tonight. We'll probably head out to eat because there's absolutely nothing in the fridge, and they're tired of take out. When you come back inside, change into your nice clothes," Corazon then said, picking up his bag and then looking inside with a dismayed gasp. He walked off with a teary-eyed expression while Law shook his head with exasperation.

"Mob friends?" Sanji asked curiously.

"Pft. No. I bet it's just stupid Diamante, Trebol, and Pica again. They're dumb asses. They're friends of Doffy," Law said, hopping down from the wall.

"Oh! Wait! I brought you something else," Sanji said, digging into his clear backpack, a requirement of all elementary school kids. He handed Law the book, and he took it with interest. The title read, 'How To Charm The Ladies – Part One'. He threw it back at him.

"I'm not reading that crap! What's wrong with you?" he snapped.

Sanji snickered, making an 'L' shape against his forehead. "Loser! You'll have to find a mail order bride when you're older!"

"I don't even care about that! That's all you!"

"My bride will be _beautiful_! I'm going to find her on accident in a store one day, and we'll fall deep in love and make adorable babies and - !"

"That's so stupid! Fall off that wall and die! Dumb kid."

The next day, Sanji peered up at him. Law had a bandage on his cheek and he looked pretty angry, carrying a _shinai_ in one hand.

"I have to do this after school, now," Law told him. "Diamante said he'd train me because 'everyone' should know how to fight. Doffy thought it was a good idea because I shouldn't be hanging out with a kid like you, anyway. It made that old broad in 4A say really irresponsible things that made him mad."

"Train hard, then. Maybe we can spar when you're better. It'll be fun!"

"They don't want me hanging out with you, anymore."

"Oh." Crestfallen, Sanji lowered his plate. "Well…if that's what you were told."

"Yep. We'll see each other at school, though. Make me a snack for after, and I'll eat it on my way home."

"Okay!" Sanji said, brightening. "See you at school, then!"

That arrangement worked for awhile, until the day Doffy picked him up after school for a dental appointment and saw them still talking.

"Don't you have any other friends?" Doflamingo asked curiously, looking away from his phone. " _Your_ age? It's a little weird seeing an elementary schooler and a middle schooler hanging out together. That old bat from 4A said you guys were doing inappropriate things in the stairway, one day."

"Like what? I kicked him for trying to give me a sandwich, though. But, no, I don't. Everyone's afraid of me because of you guys."

"I'd be too, if I had to smell that breath all the time."

"Shut up!"

"It's time to get those teeth fixed! Braces, today, Law, today is the day! I'm going to make so much fun of you. My Instagram is going to be full of you crying."

"You're so messed up! Where's Cora?"

"I honestly don't know. He said he was going to the store, but that was over twenty hours ago."

" _Doffy_!"

"It's your fault for not noticing, either!" Doflamingo snapped, driving erratically.

The next day, Sanji looked up at Law with concern. He was holding his mouth funny, and he looked pretty upset. When Law showed him his braces, Sanji cringed.

"I'll adjust the menu," he said, reaching up and patting his shoulder. "But at least you'll have pretty teeth! You'll get all the ladies, and I'll have to get mad and try harder!"

Law didn't say anything, because it hurt to talk. For the rest of that school year, he didn't say much of anything, and Sanji still hung out with him, and neither cared what anybody had to say about their odd friendship.

That summer, Law was eating pudding that Zeff had made, both of them sitting on the rock wall overlooking the park, which was full of playing children with their parents lingering nearby. The outside pool was full of residents, and neither of them were that interested to join in.

Finishing off his pudding, Sanji said, "We're moving. The old man got a job in another city."

"That sucks," Law said, frowning, sucking the flavor from his braces. "For how long?"

"I don't know. It's going to be so lonely."

"It won't be that bad, you big baby. Grow up. By the time we see each other again, you better be caught up with Pike-Bike Man and Super Mouse Man. And we'll spar. And you can make Cora some more cookies."

Law hopped off the wall, and Sanji followed after packing away their dish-and silverware into a picnic bag. They walked away from the complex, the stroll taking them through the open market area, to a walking path that followed the winding curve of the city water canal.

"What are you going to do?" Sanji asked curiously, fanning his face with one hand.

Law shrugged. He carried his _shinai_ in one hand – Diamante had demanded that he carry one at all times, just in case Doffy's rivals attempted a kidnapping. "I don't know. Practice more. Read more. I've got a ton of books that just came in that I haven't read, yet."

"Make some friends, okay? It'd be weird if you were alone because everyone's scared of you. I'm not, though. Mr. Cora's funny and Doffy is just dumb."

"That's because they – never mind. Anyway, shitty kid, just keep cooking. One day, you'll work for me."

"No way. I'm going to be married. Whatever she wants, I'm going to follow."

"Ugh, you're so _dumb_! Then I'll make both of you work for me!"

"Not uh. She won't have to lift a finger. These hands will do all the work for her!"

"God, you're so weird! Why do I hang out with you?"

"Because no one else will!"

"I'm going to make a bunch of friends and prove you wrong, brat!"

"Do it, then! Oh, follow me on Instagram. Zeff let me have one, because I'll only use it to Favorite recipes and such."

"Give me your at address, and I'll make one, too, then. Cora will let me have one. And I better not have naked girls or something on my timeline!"

Sanji blushed and covered his cheeks. "Ah, naked girls! The very epitome of God's art!"

"You're only eight! Why are you such a pervert? I remember when you made me think you were a girl!"

"I didn't make you! You were secretly hoping I was, though! Sicko."

Corazon walked up to them as Law tried to dump Sanji into the water canal, and he dropped his bags of takeout, running over hastily as some people looked on with horror. In the end, he fell in, and the two kids had to help fish him out.

Later that night, Sanji knocked on their door, and Doflamingo answered, looking faintly out of breath. When he looked down and saw that it was him, he scowled. Sanji held a thick scrapbook up, saying, "Hi, Mr. Flamingo. Can you please give this to Mr. Cora? It's recipes for Law."

"How _sweet_ ," Doflamingo said, taking the book and flipping through it. There were cut outs of completed recipes, decorated with various stickers, post-its and computer printed details. He started to drool looking at some of the pictures. Then he noticed that some of them had hearts and stars around them. "What's this?"

"Law's favorites."

Doflamingo slapped the book shut. "You realize that this is why that old bat keeps talking about you two."

"I'm moving, Mr. Flamingo."

"Donquixote."

"That's too hard to say."

"And Cora can't make anything. That's why we are as wasted as we are."

"He can do it. They're very easy to do. Please give it to him."

"Whatever. So when are you moving?"

"We're flying out tomorrow. Papa didn't tell me until last night because he didn't want me to be sad all this time."

"Fine. I'll give it to him. Are any of these your Papa's recipes that he uses in his restaurant?"

"No. They're just snacks."

" _Damn_. Okay. I'll give it to him."

"Thank you, Mr. Flamingo. Is Law here so I can say goodbye?"

"No, he's getting whacked half to death at the dojo. Here. Take this as a goodbye gift." Doflamingo reached for something out of sight, then held the brown bag out to him. "Put it somewhere safe, and don't tell your papa you have it."

"Okay." Sanji took the bag, and Doflamingo shut the door. Looking inside, Sanji had no idea what to do with a gun. But he walked off with a shrug.

Doflamingo looked at the recipe book, flipping through the pages. Then he tossed it into the trash and went back to the couch, picking up the remote so he could finish watching ' _Up'_ in peace.

: :

"Where have _you_ been?"

Sanji dropped the book he had been reading, looking up in alarm at the teenager that loomed over him, looking as if he were moments from hitting him. Once he realized it was Law, he brightened, jumping up from his chair and hugging him with a happy laugh. The passengers around them looked irritated, the crowded rows of anxious travelers already in the midst of their second layover.

"Welcome back!" he exclaimed, Law pushing away from him with a red face.

"We are in a crowded airport terminal and you pull that shit? What's wrong with you?" he snapped. "Guys don't hug each other!"

"Shit head, I'm much too happy to take offense to your little purity act! It's been a thousand years! _How are you_?"

"We're leaving the country for awhile. We should be back in another few. Doffy never learns."

"He _is_ a dumb ass."

Law took in the sight of the preteen, dressed in an oversized cardigan, skinny jeans and a neat polo. He had a childishly round face with wide blue eyes and pink lips and the start of the dreaded teenage acne. His blond hair was hanging over one side of his face, he was wearing wireless headphones, and looked as if Justin Beiber were his style idol. He had multiple bracelets and a watch on one wrist, and some rings on skinny fingers on the other. It made him look at Sanji suspiciously. He shook his head, unsure of what face to make.

"You still dress weird. What is going on with this presentation?"

"I get a lot of my influence from my girlfriends," Sanji said, knowing he was the budding start of a trendy bishonen. "They've no complaints! I'm wearing my girlfriend's ring, a promise ring, and a purity ring, and these are from my friends – all girls, of course!"

"That ring will keep you _pure_? How stupid. And why are you wearing your girlfriends' rings? Aren't they supposed to be wearing yours?"

"Sometimes girls like guys to look like me. I'm super popular."

"Don't use 'super' in a sentence like that, homo."

"Don't get turned on by it, then, jack ass."

"Your voice is so weird – you _almost_ sound like a male. But you confuse me – you make me want to kick you and stuff you in a trash can, or beat you for thinking that this is acceptable."

Sanji looked at the teen with his broader shoulders, a light sweater and scarf, black jeans and motorcycle boots. Even if the trucker's hat was still of the same material he'd worn years back, it was still ugly and out of place. But the teen also had his ears pierced, and his sideburns were growing in, and his teeth were as straight as a ruler. His face was sharper, jawline more defined, and his eyes were intense, the amber coloring more pronounced. When girls passed by, they stared obviously at him, sneakily taking pics. Sanji felt childishly young standing next to him, and self-consciously hunched his shoulders, fiddling with the sleeves of his cardigan.

"Ah, well, you look… _grown_ up."

"Well, I am. I'm eighteen."

"I can't believe we used to hang out together. What a difference distance makes!"

"Yeah, well, not much has changed here. I'm still the same person."

" _Not really_ ," Sanji said, looking him over once more. Then he brightened. "Do you still have the book I gave you?"

"What book?"

"The recipe book I – well, I gave it to Mr. Flamingo to give to you – "

Law gave him a puzzled look. "He didn't give me anything. In fact, I didn't even know you left! Jerk. And you never gave me that at address, but whatever. I don't do that anymore. Less social media is less stress on me."

"Oh." Sanji bit his bottom lip, looking sad for a few moments. Then he brightened. "I'm on my way to Brazil. There's a competition I'm entering for capoeira. You should look me up on Youtube! I'm amazing!"

"I bet. You were pretty good as a youngster. Look, I got to go. Good luck, okay? It was nice seeing you."

"Oh – do you want my email? We should keep in contact."

"No, that wouldn't be a wise idea. Not with my family. If it's meant to be, we'll run into each other again."

"Ah, okay. Um, you too. I mean, see you later. I mean, _much_ later. Like, in the future. Not now. But, later on. Somewhere else. Not here. _Shit_."

Law gave him a bewildered look. "Okay, homo. Guys don't say that sort of thing to each other."

"Oh, shut up."

Sanji waved as Law walked off without another glance back. Then he blushed, slamming down hard in his chair. He felt awkward and insecure and he looked down at himself with a heavy sigh. He thought he'd been pretty popular with the girls at his school, but compared to his childhood friend, he looked like a joke. He had a lot to grow into, and he felt mopey because there was still a lot to say to Law, and a lot of things to catch up on, and it seemed that neither of them would ever come back together as they did when they were kids.

He then startled at the feel of material around his neck, looking up as Law dumped his scarf over him.

"You can have that. Cora made me wear it. I don't need it," Law said, before walking off, backpack slung over one shoulder, much like how he carried it when they were kids.

Sanji's eyes sparkled. "So _cool_ -!"

"Hey, let me buy that from you!" a girl whispered hastily from behind Sanji, startling him as she shoved a couple of twenties at him.

"Sorry. It's a gift from a friend," he said, clutching the scarf tightly, because it looked she was moments from ripping it away from him. It smelled like Law – in a whole different way. It was a spicier scent, warm, musky, and he felt unfamiliar with the sensation of excitement that raced through him. He tucked it around his neck and looked around with a red face, because he was pretty sure this feeling was wrong.

"I want a wife with three kids, a house with a white picket fence ,and a dog named Momo," he mumbled to himself.

"So do I! With _him_ ," the girl said, still looking over her seat with a hungry expression.

Sanji rolled his eyes and pulled his heels up to the edge of the seat and tried to concentrate on reading the latest adventure of Super Mouse Man: Revolution.


	2. Chapter 2

**Naghi-Tan: Thank you! :D**

 **Chapter Two:**

… **One Pill Makes You Small**

At age fifteen, Sanji was getting a hang of it. The world they lived in was a perilous one, and when he was a kid, he hadn't seen it that way at all. When he was a kid, all he truly focused on was pleasing his friend's picky palate, winning over the kids at school, and his Papa Zeff's work schedule. He never thought twice about why kids brought practice weapons to school, and were allowed to fight each other on the playground. _It just was._

But now that they were in high school, and Zoro was allowed to bring his real swords to the campus, and the other kids there were open to challenges, Sanji finally knew why Papa Zeff had wanted him to be strong and capable.

The world was a playground for the strong, and one either had to fight to live or curl up in a ball and let death happen to them. Sanji was a fight to live type.

At lunch, Zoro was heaving for breath, having won a fight against a senior that thought he had what it took to hang in with his three-sword style. Sanji sat atop of the table nearby, chuckling with the remains of a lollipop in his mouth, and Luffy and Ussop was at either side of them, sharing their lunch with each other.

"I think you passed the test, grasshead!" he shouted above all the cheering and jeering that came from the witnesses around them. All of them had taken up available seating on the east lawn, all schoolboys in varying pieces of their fall school uniform, all enjoying the gentle warmth of a pleasant autumn afternoon. Colored leaves fluttered around them, the season change a quiet transformation from the blistering summer air.

"Showed him whose boss," Luffy cheered. He was a middle schooler that always found a way onto the high school campus.

"But it was my intimidation stare that truly did him in!" Ussop claimed, sneaking in with Luffy whenever he could.

Zoro put his swords away, the sheathing sound dramatic for the moment. But nobody looked him in the eye or made a move in his direction, so he turned his back and looked at them. With his rumpled tie, his pristine shirt condition and fitted slacks, he looked as if he'd escaped both injury and effort.

"And that's how it is," he said gravely.

"Boo! Not enough dramatics!" Sanji called, grinning again. "Try again, samurai bastard!"

After school, he lead the way down the narrow sidewalk, Luffy and Ussop racing past him with happy laughter and yells. The streets were busy with pedestrians crowding the market places, the stores open with boastful sales, shopkeeps sweeping doorsteps and making small chat with those passing by.

Zoro yawned heavily behind him, and Sanji paused in front of a coffee shop that had the strong scent of promise. He walked in, noting the open laptops and chattering of customers, and the busy baristas in the back of the counter. Zoro wandered in after him, then slumped into a nearby booth.

"Hurry up!" he complained. "Get me a cookie."

"You'll not buy when I can give!" Sanji snapped, kicking his shoe.

Once Luffy and Ussop had realized that they were no longer there, they'd raced back, looking through the windows. Luffy blew his mouth against the glass, and Ussop made faces, both of them making such a ruckus that Zoro straightened up and looked at them. He then ran after them, all of them making such noise that Sanji felt embarrassed to know them. He pulled his messenger bag up and rummaged for his wallet, and approached the counter.

"Where have you been?" the bored barista said to him, reaching out with a marker and drawing an 'x' over his wallet. "You can't order from here. Coffee is for grownups, only."

" **Jerk**! Oh! _Bastard_!" Sanji exclaimed, going from red rage to cheer in just moments, seeing that it was Law standing there, looking out of place in his barista uniform. The yellow overalls that they all wore were fitted too loosely, and the caps that pulled their hair from their faces were either worn off to the side, backward or too low. They looked more like a street gang than people that served coffee.

"Welcome back!"

"I'm back. Well? Where were you?" Law asked lazily, his voice too deep and too low from the one Sanji remembered when they last met at the airport. It almost made him shiver, and he was momentarily dumbfounded, thrown off from what he wanted to say. Those intense amber eyes stared at him, and they weren't the fierce childlike eyes Sanji remembered – they belonged to a man that saw too much.

"School. I didn't expect to see you here in town, again," Sanji managed to stutter, leaning against the counter on his forearms. His childhood friend was much taller than the last time he'd seen him. He had a thicker neck and thicker shoulders, and his face was carved with stone like features. He was devilishly handsome, and he appeared to know it because he showed off all those assets with confidence. The overalls he wore were rolled at the waist, showing off a tapered waistline in a tight fitting black shirt, and there were actual muscles in those forearms of his.

When he looked around, women were looking their way with much admiration. Including a guy that blatantly stared, sucking at his drink through a straw.

Sanji had never felt so small, quite aware of his size compared to his. With a reluctant defeat in that he'd never catch up, he twirled his purity ring around his finger and said, "I thought you'd be off in Europe somewhere, running from the authorities."

"I did. Now I'm back here."

"Doffy learn his lesson?"

"No. Same old, same old. They're living up North of here – I got an apartment with these losers," Law said, gesturing at the other two baristas.

" _You're_ the loser! Pay your rent!" one shouted at him, running the foam machine.

"Unpack your shit! Get it out of my room!" the other snapped, carrying in a box from the nearby storage room.

Sanji leaned over the counter, holding his bag out of his way. Law began drawing on his hands as he said, "Hi! My name's Sanji! It's nice to meet you!"

"Don't talk to them. You're not cool enough," Law said, Sanji watching as he drew a sun with triangle points atop of his hand. "You're still wearing that gay ring. And you look like a little kid, still. Buy some protein supplements and bulk up."

"It's my purity ring! It's cool to have them, now, didn't you know?" Sanji asked, wiggling that finger. "And I'll grow when I grow! I'm in no rush!"

"Isn't that a religious thing?"

"Not really. A lot of guys have them because it means they're more focused on the battlefield than they are with girls."

"You just gave yourself away, brat."

Sanji realized that he did, and scowled, his lies disregarded.

"You're such a baby!" Law laughed, capping the marker. The guy with his straw pulled it completely from the cup with an awkward squeak. "You're going to be a virgin forever! C'mere, let me write that on your forehead."

Sanji put a hand there to keep that from happening. "Hmf. Well, admittedly, I have some ways to go. How's Mr. Cora and Mr. Flamingo?"

"They got their syndicate up and running successfully. They should be good for another couple of years, but I broke away from that mess. I have my own crew, now, and my minions do enough for me to not do a thing," Law said, uncapping his marker and gesturing for Sanji to extend his other hand. He did automatically, allowing him to draw atop of it.

He tried not to blush, confused at his reaction as the older man held his hand steady and drew neatly, entirely focused on Sanji's skin.

When a customer approached, Law said crankily, "Penguin! Customer!"

"You're the dick at the register!"

"I'm busy!"

Sanji watched the man flail angrily in Law's direction, then grumpily take the flustered businessman's order, having to shove Law's hip aside to do so. He looked at his childhood friend with a look of disapproval. "You're still as big of a dick as ever. I thought you'd grow up by now."

"Hey, I'm over six feet, my voice is deep, I dropped my balls a long time ago. Look at you. You're still a shrimp."

"I'm talking _mentally_ , not physically – you're nothing impressive, by the way. _And_ , I'm still growing, bastard! I have the potential to be at least six foot five!"

"Is that so? With these tiny, girly hands? I don't think so. You'll probably shrimp out below six feet," Law said, tongue between teeth as he drew a smiley face with multiple arms. Sanji wondered why he was so attracted to that tip of pink, feeling uncomfortably warm. "You should get this tattooed there. It'll be worth millions one day."

"No. This looks terrible. What is it?"

"It's a happy virus. It strikes fear in the weak."

"It looks like shit, is what it is."

" _You_ look like shit, with that hair all over your face. Why do you do that?"

"Says the guy with the hat over most of his face!" Sanji exclaimed.

"Listen, Sanji, what are you doing around here? Haven't you noticed that this entire area is changing with the times?" Law then asked, capping the marker once more. He looked over the teenager before him. Sanji was a skinny shrimp with thin shoulders, too long of legs, skinny arms, and he was almost androgynous. His blond hair hung fashionably sloppy over one eye, trimmed to fall neatly around his face. He had cutely curled lips and a sharp chin, and his eye was wide and expressive. There were teenage girls that had been following him and his friends earlier, and they were still posted near the bus stop outside, waiting for him to come out. It amused him that Sanji still, after all this time, could be mistaken for a girl if he styled himself a certain way.

"Tell Papa Zeff to move you back wherever you guys came from this second time around. These streets aren't the same, anymore. They could be dangerous for little boys with cracking voices."

"I noticed a lot of shops have closed up since we were kids," Sanji said, examining the drawing on his hand with a wrinkled nose. His voice was soft and strong, shifting from time to time whenever he looked amused. "Can I get a peach-mango bubble tea?"

"No. I don't feel like making that. A lot of the older residents are leaving. The streets are changing because of the syndicates taking over. People are choosing sides, now, fighting each other behind closed doors. You're such a baby, though, I bet you haven't even noticed that sort of thing happening around you. Your face is probably buried into some girly magazine with Oprah on the front."

"You _would_ know who that is!"

'I would. I stand around in gas stations long enough to read all the magazines just to avoid the internet."

"He's such a fucking _hipster_ ," Penguin said with a sneer, walking past with some boxes. Law extended his leg and caused the man to trip, sending coffee to the floor.

Sanji gave a snorting laughter. "Well, admittedly, I realized why we're allowed to carry. I never really thought about it, it's normal, but a lot of people are armed. Most guys my age just train and fight each other on campus."

"Even you?" Law asked skeptically, uncapping his marker and looking for something else to draw on. Since his wallet was ruined, Sanji pushed that to him, so he started drawing on it.

"I've had my fair share of battle."

Law looked at him pointedly. "You want to see my sword?"

" _Are you picking up on a high school kid_?" Shachi asked him with a wrinkled nose.

"Shachi, Sanji is obviously a _baby_ -dude."

The barista removed his sunglasses, squinting at him. "Oh yeah. So he is. But you're a twisted son of a bitch."

"Hah! True!" Penguin laughed from the floor, with a dustpan.

"I turning my back to both of you and ignoring you from here on," Law said, looking back at Sanji. "Anyway, forget about them. They talk shit comfortably knowing I need them to make dinner tonight, so I can't touch them. Unless _you're_ not doing anything."

"I'm not your slave," Sanji said with a laugh, voice cracking. "That's my damn choice! And I don't think so, not with that hoity toity attitude!"

"Oh? So you don't cook, anymore? That's a shame. All I thought about all these years were the food you'd bring me after school."

"I still do! I'm the best there is! But I'm not going to automatically show up where ever you are with a plate. I'm not that kid, anymore. I've got others to tend to. Maybe you can serve me free coffee, now!"

"I had already told you that you'll be working for me as my slave, someday," Law said with a frown, barely moving when Penguin used a foot to further shove his hip away from the register so he could take the man's money and exchange a few coins for change. "You and Zeff. Soon. I will be operating my own syndicate right out of this place."

Both baristas laughed, almost spilling their drinks. Law frowned, straightening away from the counter to glare at them.

"Ooh, watch out! Those guys make some hot coffee!" Shachi cried, holding up a Styrofoam cup of steaming hot liquid.

Penguin let his bubble tea lead him, giving a dramatic stumble. "Aiee! Bubble tea of death coming our way!"

"What's wrong with that? Those are valid attacks. Hot coffee can burn skin, and bubble tea of death can hide the taste of a fatal drug," Law pointed out patiently.

Sanji laughed as the baristas rethought their insults. He grabbed ahold of the counter and pulled himself over it, looking at the shelves underneath. "So? Where is it? Show me this bad ass sword of yours."

"Dudes don't usually ask that of each other," Law said, crossing his arms over his chest. He lifted a foot and pushed Sanji back over the counter. "Get off there. What are you, nine?"

Penguin put Sanji's bubble tea down on the counter, hand out for money. Sanji gave him a bill and waved the change away. "At least _somebody_ works in here."

"I do. I get paid to lure people in. Admittedly, I don't have to do much. I just stand here and tell these guys what to do and they do it."

"Ugh, such a snob! _Boo_! Where's my friend that didn't care for that sort of thing? I want him to come back."

"That little asshole is long gone."

"And after all the time and effort I spent on the entire series of Super Mouse Man: Revolution _and_ Extinction!"

Law scowled at him with warning but it was too late. Penguin leaned up against him, slurping loudly on his cappuccino. "Tell me _more_ about senpai's dirty little secret," he said in a girlish voice.

Shachi leaned against him with an overdramatic swish of his red hair and upturned nose. "Ah, _senpai_ , you're so naughty with those books you try to hide underneath your textbooks."

" _Closet pervert_!" they both yelled, jabbing at his face before darting away.

Law blushed faintly.

"They don't know of your manga obsession?" Sanji asked curiously, tucking his hair behind his ear. "Or can adults still do that? Good thing I'm the age where it's still cool."

"Shut up, brat."

"Ask him about his tentacle porn collection!" Penguin yelled loudly from across the shop, where he was sweeping at nothing at all. Everyone looked up with startled action, then at the counter.

"Don't get us started about that boys' love experimentation series we found in his moving boxes!" Shachi shouted from the restroom, shutting and locking the door hastily.

Law cleared his throat while Sanji looked at him with wide-eyed curiosity, slurping at his tea noisily. He reached out and snatched the container from him, the straw clinging to Sanji's lips.

"Anyway, enough of that. Admittedly, I realized how childish it was to entertain myself with such things when there were more important things in this world that needed my attention. Such as school, life, and women. Lots of women."

"How _many_ women, senpai?" Sanji cooed, leaning over the counter with a wide grin. "I bet you have a ton of stories!"

"None for your little virgin ears."

"I tried helping you out! Help me out, now!"

"I can't take you seriously. You're still a baby."

"He's full of lies! He brags but we've never seen him with any woman!" Penguin laughed, wiping off Luffy's lip prints from the window.

"He's probably still a virgin!" came Shachi's voice from the bathroom.

"I'm firing everybody from this place."

"You don't even own it! You work here like we do!"

Sanji watched as Luffy and Ussop ran back, Zoro trailing along behind him with a tired expression. "Hey, my friends! I'm going to go, you'll be here tomorrow?"

"You're not allowed to come back. Kids are banned."

"I'll bring you some lunch – I have half day, block periods, tomorrow," Sanji said, taking off in a run once he saw Luffy cross the street, waving at a group of girls. "Bye, guys! Good luck, tonight!"

"That kid's pretty familiar with you, Law- _kun_ ," Shachi said, ambling back up to the counter. "Who was that?"

"Ah, just a neighbor from this place I used to live before we moved to Europe. Snot nosed brat."

"You said 'Zeff', earlier?" Penguin asked.

"Yes. He belongs to Zeff. They're not really related. Isn't he cute? He's like one of those bishonen boys in a shojo manga. I knew he'd start to get attractive once he hit double digits."

"Only you would think that way, you sick fuck," Penguin cursed at him.

"I only _said_ he was cute, I didn't say I was going to set myself up for a Chris Hansen visit."

"I have him on speed dial, admittedly. Make the wrong move, and that guy will be pulling you into his office for a quick chat!"

"I was asked to give this to you," Shachi said, passing him a napkin with a phone number and a name.

Law tossed it into the trash without looking at it. "I'm going on break."

"You didn't even do anything!" they yelled at him.

The next afternoon, Sanji ambled up to the counter with a neatly wrapped box lunch. Law was still in the same spot he was standing in the day before, but Penguin was leaning over with a marker and a poster in hand, and both of them looked up to watch him approach. They were marking over women from a magazine advert with bigger boobs, bigger ass and huge lips, with drastic makeup changes.

"Feast your pervy faces on this creation!" he said grandly, unwrapping it to reveal three boxes of finely filled compartments of mixed treats.

"What is this sorcery?" Penguin breathed, drooling as Law looked impressed.

"This is panko fried veggies, hamburger cutlet with vegetable sauce – try it before you say anything, it's a perfect blend of tomato sauce, ground lettuce and relish with a dab of mayo! Then there's the little veggie pieces, and some fried rice. Zeff had the fryer going, so I took advantage of it last night," Sanji said cheerfully, unfolding ornately designed chopsticks from the sack and presenting them grandly. "Where's the other guy?"

"Trash run. Forget about him."

"Not bad, shitty kid. I knew you'd be a great slave," Law said, eating some of the fried veggies. He was stunned at the sharp flavoring, too used to the floury taste he often encountered with panko. Penguin was already half through his, and by the time Law picked up his chopsticks, a couple of customers were looking at them with impatience. Sanji hurriedly stepped away, but once Shachi appeared, Law pointed at the customers with his chopsticks.

"Are you guys serious? _Damn_! What are you being paid for around here?" Shachi complained, washing his hands hastily. " _What are you eating_? Hey kid, you're back."

"Lunch break!"

"You guys had lunch twenty minutes ago!"

"So I told Papa that you were working here," Sanji said, wrapping up his sacks and chopstick holders, shoving them into his bag. "He was surprised you'd come back. He said you ran into a lot of trouble overseas. Something about a visa?"

"Please. Rules don't apply to me."

"Obviously," a customer said snidely, looking at Law with reproach. Law ignored him, eating slowly while Penguin picked out items from Shachi's box, having cleaned his out.

Sanji snatched Shachi's box from Penguin's reach. "Also, he wanted to know how Doffy was holding up after Sunday. I don't know what he meant by that. Sunday brunch?"

Law swallowed his food, chewing slowly. "I don't know. I didn't ask. Like I said, I skipped out of there. It was getting too crowded, and they were getting too involved with The White Rabbit. You know what that is, shitty brat?"

"No," Sanji admitted. "Like from Alice in Wonderland?"

"It's a street drug. It's very dangerous. You should look it up, get yourself educated. That's why the syndicates have been moving into the city. There's a special mineral here that can be found underground, and once it's ground down and burned into certain chemicals, it causes a hallucinatory effect that renders a user invincible or capable of any command. It produces a high like no other, and isn't addictive, so you can go to work the next day like nothing happened. I'm surprised you haven't heard of it because kids like you are very susceptible to it. Most fighters use it during battles to win."

"No," Sanji said, puzzled. "Not at all. It doesn't sound that different from the ones that are already out there."

"Maybe that's a good thing, then."

"Have _you_ used it?"

"Of course. It's important to test a product before it's distributed. But only in a controlled setting."

"So you sell it?"

"No. I don't do that stuff. All I do is park my ass here all day and earn eight twenty-five an hour and suffer."

" _You do nothing_ ," Shachi growled at him, taking credit cards and running receipts for the people that glared at Law and Penguin.

"Then you sure know a lot about it!" Sanji pointed out.

"I told you, Doffy was getting into it. He was finding different purposes for it, though. Frankly, it's not my problem what they do with it. I'm away from it. All we do is cause trouble for those that are in it. It's a great way to train, actually. You pick a fighter that's high on that shit, and you reap the benefits when you beat them. Better than locking yourself up in a dojo for hours at a time," Law added, eating one rice grain at a time, driving Penguin crazy. "I never did show you my sword, did I?"

"I'd _love_ to see it," the customer from yesterday said, practically drooling as he stared at Law. Law made a thumbing gesture at him, Penguin stepping up to the register to take his order while Shachi took his place. Sanji gave him his lunch box.

"I won't be that impressed, Zoro has three of them," Sanji said. "You seen one, you seen them all."

"HAH!" Shachi and Penguin barked together, leaning against Law. "He's already _seen_ swords before!"

"Hey, shitty brat, remember when I said I'd make friends? Well, I didn't," Law said, eating another grain of rice. "These two losers just follow me everywhere and make it real inconvenient for me to sleep at night with all their noises they make together."

"The implication that we sleep together is nixed. We're bad snorers," Shachi said to Sanji, eating quickly. "But Penguin does talk in his sleep."

"I've used so many great lines on invisible people that don't appreciate them," Penguin said morosely. "I forget all of them by the time a great looking lady comes in here."

"There's hope for you in being a decent human being after all!" Sanji said cheerfully, his cellphone buzzing. He examined the text from Zoro, and quickly sent a reply.

"I've got to go," Sanji then said, piling the two boxes together, snatching the chopsticks from Law's hands as he saw that he was only eating to bug Penguin. "I've got practice. I'll see you around town, huh?"

"Maybe. Where do you live?"

"At the apartments by the park. You should come by! We finally have a television and cable," Sanji said with a smirk. He signaled for a pen, and when Shachi gave him one, he wrote down his cell phone number on a customer survey slip. He passed it over to Law. "That's my number. Text me, because I don't answer unless I know you're a girl. We can watch your show when it comes on."

"Ah. 'Friends'."

"If that's what you're calling your cartoons, nowadays!" Sanji said, leaving the shop and then calling out to some girls walking down the street before running after them cheerfully.

"Was he just waving his wrists around?" Shachi asked, mouth half open. "That was the _girliest_ catcall I'd ever heard."

"He's such a cute little dork," Law said with a laugh, finding a grain of rice on his cheek and eating that.

" _Senpai_ , your inner perv is coming out again. Please. Hands off."

"Stop calling me 'senpai'."

"You think the White Rabbit hit their campus?" Penguin asked curiously, capping the customer's drink and sliding it over the counter. The man walked off, lips on his straw and lovestruck eyes stuck on Law as he walked past.

"I don't know. It doesn't sound like he's educated on the drug, so it might not. I'm not that concerned if it is, though. Kids challenging each other isn't that big of a deal around here. The campus police are strong enough to put stops to grand fights that might cause death. Even if a fighter's on the drug high, they're still not humanly capable of performing feats that we're used to."

"I got the scores up," Penguin said holding up his cellphone. The pool of area fighters were monitored and rated weekly in a specially controlled panel, in a forum accessed only by allowed users, and Law took his phone to examine the board. All the usual names were in the top 100, and he put in Zoro's name, then Sanji's.

"They're still small fry – they don't even exist on the board. Oh, but look at mine. I'm 52."

"After last week's fight with Kaku? Damn."

"No worries. I'm not looking to make that huge of an impression. Just a big enough one to slide my way in, with as much discomfort as possible."

" _Why_ do you have to sound like that?" Penguin complained, snatching his phone away.

"I'm guessing we're not going to pry?" Shachi asked Law curiously.

"No. There's no use for it if he hadn't heard about it. Maybe his friends, might, though. Wouldn't hurt to ask."

"Keep your hands to yourself, Law-chan."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: This is such a different world from my other fics – I imagine this one to be filled with colors, too much technology, girlishly drawn bishonen, and scenes straight out of a beautifully drawn landscapes of a modern world – god, there's so many of them on Pixiv. And the guys are innocent and naïve and will learn eventually to toughen up and be the tough guys I enjoy drooling over. *dazes off ***

 *** Holy crap you guys, I didn't expect this story to receive alot of interest. There is alot of reviews but it's not showing up again. Thank you all of you for your thoughts and comments. This chapter is the last that I had, but I definitely will work on this story after finishing up Family Bonds.**

 **Chapter Three:**

 **And The Ones That Mother Gives You**

The next day, Sanji looked at his watch, waiting for Luffy to finish his battle against a kid with rather painful looking tattoos on his face. Zoro was napping soundly, head on his lap, and Sanji looked at his phone again, to see if Law had texted him. He doubted the man would, but he couldn't help but feel impatient about it. He should've taken his number, instead. It was so weird how time and differences made the age gap that much grander. His memory left him loud replays of a sullen faced child Law with a foul mouth, but there were things between them that made them close. Eating snacks on the rock wall with the breeze at their backs, cartoons on the big screen in the man cave, moments of childish joy in between that made them tolerate each other on a level they couldn't find with others. Law wasn't that kid anymore – he was a gorgeously handsome man behind the counter of a coffee shop, and he was a stranger to Sanji. Never in a thousand years would he approach a guy like that, a threat to his own masculinity - _blooming_ masculinity. He'll get to Law's level one day – he just knew it! It was just as weird when Law treated him just as he did back then, but…differently.

He unwrapped a lollipop from his messenger bag and stuffed it between cheek and teeth. He wasn't sure _how_ to unravel that sensation of uncomfortable warmth and awareness he now had of the man. He was sure it was admiration. Law was an actual man, and not the kid that threatened to kick him down the stairs. Sanji wasn't sure if it was the new intensity in his eyes that made him feel awkward, or the fact that he didn't know his friend at all, anymore.

Ussop sat next to him, his face turned up to the sky, sunglasses in place. The kid had abandoned his blazer and was sitting with his shirt unbuttoned to reveal his undershirt beneath that, and it was such a beautiful day that Sanji felt comfortable enough to leave his collar loose, his cuffs rolled up. He fiddled with his ring – it was a plain band on the outside, but inside it read, 'True Love Waits', and it meant a lot of things to him. He was a guy that believed in love, and he knew exactly how it would happen. The others made fun of him for it, but he didn't care.

Luffy shouted with effort, and the kid he was fighting flew through the air, Luffy's fist following. That kid and his rubber powers were amazing – he was just getting used to them, and Sanji carefully took a picture of the scene so he could load it to his Instagram account.

As he messed with the filters, he saw movement from the corner of his eye. He looked down the hill to the sidewalk below, and watched a group of men leave a classy towncar. He recognized them immediately, spitting out his lollipop stick, and rising quickly, Zoro's head dropping to the grass with a dull thud.

"Where you going?" Ussop asked him, looking at Zoro with concern. But the teen kept sleeping with his arms crossed tightly over his chest and Sanji was running down the hill towards some men in heavy black suits and jackets. They were obviously syndicate members, causing Ussop to suck in a long gasp of horror.

"Mr. Flamingo! Mr. Cora!" Sanji shouted, waving his hand about as the two looked in his direction, the men around them looking at him with vague alarm, hands going to their jackets.

Doflamingo snapped his fingers with thoughtful action, giving an intense, concentrative expression as Sanji stopped in front of them with a wide grin. Corazon looked at him with a vacant frown then made a wide gesture with his hands.

" _Zeff's_ grandson!" he remembered, Doflamingo giving an 'ah ha!' snap of his fingers and a wide grin. "Wow, look at you! You're a teenager, now!"

"Ah, yes, Law's friend! I thought that hair looked familiar," Doflamingo said with a chuckle. "How are you, kid?"

"I'm doing well. It's nice seeing you, again. You're back in the country?" Sanji asked, giving a short bow, Corazon returning it politely.

"We've been back for awhile. We can't stay to chat," Doflamingo said, looking at his phone. "We're walking through time and space itself to catch the food truck that's supposed to meet us here."

"You guys are wearing totally expensive clothes, why haven't you bought your own cook?" Sanji asked, in disbelief that these guys were still eating crap from moving vehicles.

"We tried! But we've grown big as a family, and not all the cooks want to cater to our demands," Corazon said with a suffering sigh.

"I spoke with Law yesterday," Sanji said, looking up at Doflamingo with a frown. "You didn't give him that book."

"That old bat from 4A, bless her heart, intimidated my mental capabilities into thinking that doing so was unacceptable. I threw it away."

"Aw! And I still have that gun you gave me! it wasn't that hard to hold onto!"

"You gave an _eight year old kid_ a gun as a 'goodbye' gift?" Corazon asked Doflamingo with an incredulous gesture.

"What was I supposed to do? There was nothing else that day I could've given him. Hey, can you give that back, actually? I might need it," Doflamingo then said, an approaching food truck coming their way. The driver looked fairly intimidated, Corazon looking at it cheerfully while the others walked on ahead to meet it.

"I can, I have no use for a gun."

"Did you tell Zeff about it?"

"No. I mean, I knew it was wrong at that time, but it was so normal because you guys had them all over your place – I just put it in my treasure box and forgot about it when we moved."

" _Treasure_ box?"

"With all my memories and trinkets throughout the years! I plan on giving it to my kids, someday!"

Doflamingo stared down at him with a lost expression. He remembered giving him the same exact look when Sanji had held up the recipe book to him. Then he looked awkwardly at the others, reaching up to adjust his sunglasses. "You're such a weird kid. I have trouble trying to keep up with this nonsense. Anyway, if you could give it back, that would be great. Ah. Food! Cora! We have ten minutes – make it quick!"

" _Don't rush me_!"

"Hey, you mentioned you spoke to Law?" Doflamingo then said, hands on his hips as he loomed over Sanji. As tall as he was, he gave Sanji shade from the sun slowly moving overhead. "Where? Here?"

"Yeah. He works at that coffee place on Market Road."

" _'Works'_? ' _Coffee_ place?'" For a few moments, it looked like Doflamingo had short-circuited. Then he shouted to Cora, "Hey! He said Law _works_ at a _coffee_ place here in town!"

Corazon dropped his tacos with a shocked expression. " _He's living a normal life_?"

Sanji wasn't sure why their reactions were so proud and happy – even Doflamingo looked more cheered than normal, grinning wide. Corazon ran to him, and they both hugged each other, laughing merrily as they twirled about. Even their minions looked on with horror, dropping their food purchases with limp hands.

"We raised him right!" Corazon shouted merrily. "We did something good, for once!"

"I have never been so proud at this moment than I am now!' Doflamingo announced, wiping underneath his glasses with one shaking finger. "Despite all my screw-ups and your bad housekeeping skills, our Law has grown and emerged from this world as a normal human being!"

"Wow, you guys are freaks," Sanji muttered, looking embarrassed that a pair of tough looking syndicate guys were hugging and weeping all over each other.

"We really did want him to live a life different from ours," Corazon said to him, wiping one eye. Sanji stared up at him, wondering why the man hid his pleasant face behind garish lipstick and weird blue clown eyelashes. He lit a cigarette, not noticing that he lit Doflamingo's jacket on fire at the same time. Doflamingo reacted with a startled yelp, nearly dropping his phone as he jerked away from Corazon. "Yeah, maybe we could've done a few things differently back there, but in all honesty, we didn't want him following in our footsteps. I'm glad to hear that he's doing what he's doing now, even though it doesn't sound very glamorous. I expected him to be either in prison or shacked up in some rundown trailer with some ho and kids he had in high school! He was on a very bad path with some questionable people."

"We intimidated all his girlfriends," Doflamingo said, killing the flames by slapping his jacket on the sidewalk. "Once we realized he was playing with them in high school, we did everything we could to sabotage his budding sexual relationships, fearful that he'd have kids much too soon. That little jerk finally figured out how to sneak around. We thought he ran off with one of them, why we haven't seen him in so long."

"Did he say anything about being settled down?" Corazon asked with worry. Then grew misty eyed, trembling fingers to his frowning mouth. "He wouldn't marry anybody without letting us know, would he?"

"That'd be fucked up," Doflamingo cursed viciously.

"No, I didn't notice a ring," Sanji said, waving their upset expressions away. "He's living with these two guys, they share an apartment."

"I'm so _thankful_ that you were there for him, back then," Corazon then said, reaching for his hands, looming over him. "He truly had a hard time making friends – "

"Being the little bastard that he was," Doflamingo muttered, but Sanji looked at him because it was obvious who Law took his attitude and demeanor from.

" – and when you came into his life, he was a normal little kid with normal little problems, and it crushed my heart when Zeff took you guys away!"

"But that was our fault, really. Shot ourselves in the foot with that one." Doflamingo looked at his watch while Sanji gave him a puzzled look for the comment. "Shit. Now we're in negative overtime. Hurry up! You, kid – what street did you say?"

"Market. Will you be dropping by? Why haven't you guys been in contact?" Sanji asked curiously.

"I'm afraid it's complicated," Corazon said with a tragic sniff, turning away from Sanji. Then he looked around himself, hands up with question. One of their minions held up his plate, and he hurried over happily.

"Take all the sauce! No mercy on those carnitas! No olives, or people get killed!" Doflamingo hollered after him. Then he looked back down at Sanji, phone in hand, scrolling through the content with an anxious frown. "Listen, kid, if you can get me that gun, it'll be absolutely fantastic. If not, we'll have to come to your house and get it ourselves, and – "

"I have practice tonight, and I'm usually home by eight," Sanji said, digging in his pockets for his phone. "Text me, okay? And I'll run it out to you. Don't try to call, because I only answer for girls. Men don't need to hear my melodic voice over the line."

"'Melodic'. _Right_." Doflamingo lowered his phone, looking at the kid who let the vague threat fly right over his head; he wondered if he even recognized it as a threat. Maybe he should have been more specific - then he let it go when his phone vibrated with an incoming text. "Okay. What's your number?"

Sanji gave it to him. Then he whirled, and took a selfie with the man. He laughed at the expression Doflamingo was wearing in the picture, of puzzled surprise. Quickly, Sanji took the few steps necessary to take a selfie with the others, Corazon with his peace sign and friendly shoulder hug, the others giving Doflamingo expressions of outage.

He texted rapidly with one hand, hand on his hip. "Kids and their social media. Hashtag it Donquixote. And spell it right, or I'll hunt you down and – "

"No filter, got it!" Sanji said, locking his phone.

"And no weird borders! Or inspirational verses!"

"Got it! I'll see you around! And come to the Baratie! I'm sure Zeff wouldn't mind seeing you all, again. I help out during the weekend, maybe you can drop by when I'm there! I'll give you guys special treatment."

He completely missed the expressions on both Doflamingo's and Corazon's faces, but they gave him wide grins anyway.

"Dumb as a _rock_ ," Doflamingo said to his brother as Sanji raced back up the hill to the others. "Kids are much to innocent and naïve, these days. They're nothing like we were, brother."

Corazon sighed, opening his mouth wide to take a bite of his taco, forgetting that he was still smoking a cigarette. It dropped into his plate, much to the disgust of a minion standing next to him. "Ah, it's the changing times, we just have to let it go and ride with it. But let's go visit Law!"

"No, we're now _negative_ three point five hours past the time we were supposed to show up to our meeting."

"That doesn't even make any sense! Are we early, or are we late? We're _late!_ We're _always_ late! We're going to be late to our own damn funerals!"

"I'll set a reminder, then," Doflamingo said, concentrating on the task while Corazon frowned at him with disgust.

: :

The next afternoon, Sanji whipped through the doors of the coffee shop. It was Friday, and he was wearing a striped shirt with the school colors, his school cardigan, his black uniform shorts and his dress shoes. He had barrettes in his hair, the products of his girl friends' enthuisastic decorations. From behind the counter, Law winced as Sanji approached him.

"This is seriously wretched, knowing that a guy like you walks around here looking like that," he complained, hand over his face. The three of them had changed hat styles – instead of wearing his brim low, he wore his hat with the brim to the side; Shachi had his backward, and Penguin was the one with most of his face covered. But over his hat brim was a visor with an Empire penguin emblem in front.

"You haven't texted me!" Sanji complained, rising on his tiptoes so that he could lean over the counter with a frown. "So now I'm here because I've got important things to say."

"Where's my snack, shitty brat? I'm hungry. And where's my decorations? I didn't say you could remove them. You're my property, now, you have to wear my mark," Law said, noticing that Sanji's hands were clean. He flicked at them, making Sanji retract them with a wince.

"You're such an ass!" Sanji pulled himself up on the counter and sat there, Shachi looking at him indignantly.

"I just wiped there!"

"I ran into Mr. Flamingo and Mr. Cora yesterday," Sanji said, Law sitting up in his stool with a surprised look. He was wearing his uniform correctly, but left the front wide open, revealing a surprisingly muscular chest that Sanji couldn't help but look down upon. It was his position, really. "You haven't been in any contact with them? Why?"

"Shit. I knew they'd come back eventually, but for them to run into you? What a pain. Did they remember you?"

"Yes. Check it out," Sanji said, leaning over to show him the pictures he took yesterday.

Law snatched the phone from him, showing the other two the selfies he took.

"For fuck's sake!" Shachi exclaimed, Penguin's mouth dropping open. "They stood still to let that happen?"

"Why wouldn't they? We're pals!" Sanji said, smiling. "When we were kids, I was always watching tv at their place."

" 'When we were kids'? You're _still_ a kid!" Shachi looked at Law suspiciously. "Were you grooming this poor bastard to your sick tastes?"

"We wouldn't be surprised," Penguin added, leaning on some glass containers with candy inside.

"At the time, I made him be my friend," Sanji told them, grinning wide. "I ambushed him when I was five, and made him eat my cooking. Then I didn't leave him alone after that. I thought I was a good influence on him."

" _He's so pure_!" the pair said, cringing away from him.

"Delete, delete," Law said, deleting the pictures.

"Go ahead. I already posted it to my Insta," Sanji said with a sniff, snatching his phone back. "Anyway, yes, they remembered me. Mr. Flamingo said he'd thrown away the book I'd given him to give to you. You're off the hook."

"You didn't tell them I was here, did you?"

"Of course!"

" _Of course_. Fuck."

"Listen here, jerk, you can't just expect me to automatically know this and that about your life when you haven't even texted me your life story, telling me what you were doing all these years!" Sanji said, shifting his messenger bag around his waist, dropping it to the floor.

"I hate texting."

"Mr. Cora thought you'd run off with a lady, he said. They were upset about you running away, but were happy you were living a normal life here," Sanji said, watching him closely. " _Both_ of them were happy!"

"Oh, how their dreams will be shattered, soon," Penguin muttered, yawning. "Little do they know, he's looking to run his own part of the syndicate life. And for what reason, hmm?"

"They told me you had an active sex life in high school," Sanji said, wiggling his eyebrows before reaching down and grabbing his overall collar. "You give me advice! Tell me what to do! How do I score like that?"

"Just grab a chick, find a bathroom, hit and run. That's all you do," Law told him, jerking away from his hands. "They don't care where you are, as long as they have you for at least thirty to forty minutes."

"HAH!" Shachi laughed. "More like five! Quit trying to make yourself sound awesome, because you're not!"

"In the _bathroom_? At _school_?" Sanji repeated, wrist to his mouth with revulsion.

"Yes. Just lock up in the stall furthest from the door, prop her up on the toilet and hit it from behind. Nothing romantic about it. At least you're getting it."

Sanji looked utterly repulsed, tongue out, showing off the overly red remnants of a lollipop he'd had earlier. " _Gross_. Where's the _romance_? A lady should be treated with love and respect and dignity and satin sheets with roses and candlelight and - "

All three of them cracked up. Sanji reddened, scowling as he crossed his arms tightly over his chest.

"Put down the romance novels! Don't believe that crap! Dude, if you really want to score a high school chick nowadays, wait a couple of years. And stop doing… _this_ …whatever this is," Penguin said, gesturing at the entirety of him. "You'll remain in that friendzone _forever_ , dude."

"I have a bunch of girlfriends - !"

"Listen to _us_ , kid!" Shachi said, pushing Law away from the stool so he could have a moment of attention. "My first time was at a friend's house – with a girl just as scared as I was, but there wasn't all the things you'd said. It was rushed, sweaty and neither of us were comfortable because we knew we were going to get caught! That's how it is!"

"Mine was in the backseat of my mom's car, and I didn't get the technique down until college!" Penguin exclaimed. "The first time won't be what you think it'll be, kid, you're setting yourself up for utter disaster. Don't put high expectations on it."

"Well, that's _you_ guys. I put a lot of thought into it. I'm very attentive to my girlfriends."

"Yeah, but thought isn't the same as actual action! I guarantee you, you're going to freeze up the first time it happens!"

"This is so funny, you guys giving sex advice to a kid like him," Law said with a snort, leaning on the counter away from them. "When I met this kid, I thought he was a girl."

"Papa always let me make my own choices, and gave me a bunch of freedom because he knew I'd find my own way, anyway," Sanji said with a haughty sniff. "And you were such an asshole to me! I'd admired you when I was a kid! I don't know why!"

"'Papa'?" Shachi asked.

"Yes. Papa Zeff. He's my grandfather, but I call him 'Papa' because I knew him as my father. And the only reason why I dressed that way was - " Sanji trailed off, looking thoughtful. "Well, I don't know! We'd just come over from France, and…well, to be honest, I don't know that part either, it was so long ago! I don't remember why it was only me and him, and I don't remember why I didn't have a normal nuclear family like everyone else. But the only thing that mattered was that Papa took care of me and allowed me to _be_ me!"

"Mr. Cora was so afraid he'd find you one day in a trailer with kids you had in high school," he added.

The other two laughed uproariously.

"He would've been!" Shachi said, drumming a beat atop of the register. "But then he discovered his sword's 'special purpose' and turned from a life of delinquency to a life of this."

"A life of _this_?"

"Coffee shop barista, Level 9000. He can take orders without writing them down, write down correct names, and manage to make tips so I don't know why he doesn't do shit here today in this shop!"

"That's a lot of anger," Sanji observed.

"My soul has been ripped away from me, day by day, doing the things _you_ should've been doing!" Shachi roared at Law.

Law sighed with a bored air. "It's not because of my lack of effort, it's because you're a ginger."

Penguin pushed them away as Shachi tried to strangle Law. "Anyway, kid, don't listen to them. Listen to me. Don't rush it. High school is about having fun and experimenting safely, and don't set your expectations too high. You don't want to be disappointed."

"I suppose. I've just been waiting most of my life to have that special someone to share things with."

"Do it with friends."

"Ew," Sanji said with disgust.

"Not like that! I mean, experience things in life with friends! It's not always about wanting to be a couple and all that."

"Says the guy with no girlfriend in years," Shachi said, straightening his hat as Law pushed him away with a boot.

"Ugh, I got used to it."

"For your helpful advice, I'll help _you_ out!" Sanji said, twisting on the counter and taking a selfie with them in the background. He was only able to capture a part of Penguin's profile, an elusive glimpse of thin lips and narrow eyes and black hair – Shachi had his head turned, looking at the clock, and Sanji completely cropped Law out of the picture.

"I know a lot of college girls, and if I show you off on my Insta, I _guarantee_ they will come here and talk to you," Sanji said, adding some hashtags, the location and a quick comment on the picture. "What's your real name?"

"Just Penguin with a capitol 'P'."

"And you! I don't want you interfering!' Sanji said to Law, frowning at him. "Wear a hat or mask and hide yourself when they come in here! I want them to hit on _him_ , not you!"

"Ooh, possessive uke!" Shachi said with a goofy expression, poking Law's cheek. "Or is this a seme in bloom? Pervert."

"Whatever that means," Sanji said with a skeptical frown. "I'm just saying, if they see him, they're going to ignore you. I'm going to chat you up and explain all your good points, so you better tell me some of your hobbies and likes and what you like to do in your spare time."

"Oh, uh, well…uh…huh."

"Fine. I'll make it up."

A customer finally ambled in, so Sanji left the counter, moving his bag.

"I'm going on break," Law said, straightening his hat. "Let's walk outside, shitty virgin."

"Stop calling me that! You're such an ass! And I don't want to be seen with you outside because no one will be looking at me!"

With an exasperated sound, Law grabbed his arm and walked towards the bathroom.

"This isn't high school!" Shachi screeched, leaning over the counter, much to the customer's surprise as he was nearly shoved out of the way. "Kid, blow your rape whistle!"

"We're just talking! I need to ask you something away from those two losers," Law added, pushing him into the bathroom and shutting the door, locking it behind him. Despite the odd setting, Sanji shrugged a shoulder and looked into the mirror. He removed the barrettes and fluffed his hair and caught Law looking at him funny.

"Okay, okay, what's up?" Sanji asked, turning away from the mirror, hands behind him.

"First off, don't tell those two guys anything I tell you," Law said firmly, leaning against the door, arms crossing tightly over his chest. "I'm aware that you'll be back and forth between us – that's just the sort of relationship you have with everyone. I left for a reason. I left without _telling_ them for a reason. I don't want you caught in the middle of things. Understand?"

" _Okay_ ," Sanji said, looking up at him with a puzzled look.

Law stared down at him for several moments. In that one instant, they were just kids again, and Sanji was looking up at him with a curled lip and fierce eyes, and he himself was growling at him with a curled fist and promise of pain in his expression. But they weren't in some bathroom in a coffee shop – they were in the man cave, and they were arguing about which characters were best in his favorite anime. It had been so carefree and easy, back then. When the only fight there was was between friends over a silly topic.

Now it was noticeably different. He was a full grown man. Sanji was a man in training – still so childishly young, and innocent. Having no idea what was out there, learning about how the world works, and having outrageous images of romance with his first girl.

Law did miss those times being a kid, again. They were such easier times.

"Just be careful out there, okay? Pick your street battles carefully. Don't take anything that seems like an easy fix. In fact, here's what I wanted to show you."

He opened his overalls and reached into his jeans pocket, pulling out a pill vacuum sealed in plastic. It was small and white, with the impression of a rabbit on the top.

"This is the White Rabbit. This is what some guys take when they're going to fight. It causes immense overstimulation so your reaction times are faster; it'll dull your pain sensors so you ignore damage; if you have special abilities, it will amplify them for those very reasons. This is what's being sold on the streets."

"I've never seen that sort of thing," Sanji admitted, holding his hand out so he could look at it more closely. "I've never even heard of it."

But Law closed his fingers over it. "Don't take it. And if your friends come across it, tell them not to take it. Tell them to drop the fight if you suspect the other has taken it. You'll know it right away – they're almost insanely aggressive, and they're physically strong. Teenagers don't react well with it – your systems are much too susceptible to overdose, and you can die from it. When I took it, those two back there made sure I didn't do anything stupid. But the drug's intensity will vary from maker to maker – but they all have the rabbit on them nonetheless. I'd rather you not do any drugs at all, but I know you'll probably experiment on your own. That's what kids do. Admittedly, I will take one from time to time when I know my opponent is sure to overwhelm me, but it's very occasional."

"I'm not particularly interested in doing anything but a woman," Sanji said fiercely. "I've seen some of my peers doing their little stimulants at gatherings, but I honestly am not that curious."

"What about Papa Zeff? Does he talk to you about any of this stuff?"

"No. Why would he?" Sanji asked curiously. Then he remembered the puzzling comment Doflamingo had made yesterday. "Um, about Papa, Doffy said something weird. He said they shot themselves in the foot when it came to him. It sounded…suspect."

Law looked at Sanji with a flat smile. Then looked away, lowering his arms. Sanji waited for him to say something, his curious eye coursing over the other man.

Law looked at him again, then reached out and ruffled his hair. "Let's keep you young for a little while longer. Papa Zeff is doing a great job of raising you. That's all you need to know."

"Why do you say it like that?" Sanji asked curiously, reaching up and pushing his hand away. "What's going on?"

"I'll text you later, okay? Will you be around tonight?"

"Sure. He's going to be working late with Friday business, but I'll be home. Zoro's off for a competition down South, and Luffy and Ussop were grounded for fighting yesterday, so I don't expect to see them. And my girlfriend isn't allowed to visit if Zeff's not there. Unless _you_ can be my trusted chaperone," Sanji said slyly, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Don't invite me over when you have a girlfriend," Law warned him smoothly. "I'll just steal her away."

"You bastard, you probably would!" Sanji snapped, kicking him as he opened the door. Law went stumbling out, and Sanji followed with a huff.

"He's not walking funny!" Shachi reported loudly to Penguin, who was delivering a tray full of drinks to some girls giggling at a table nearby.

"Oh, Sanji," Law said, reaching out to grab his hand to catch his attention. Sanji looked up at him with a curious expression. He suddenly flushed because Law's hand was much too big, too warm, and his fingers were rough and strong against his skin. When he removed the ring from Sanji's finger, he caught the print on the inside.

"Don't rush _this_ ," he said, showing him the contents. As he spoke, he pushed the ring back onto Sanji's finger, Sanji biting his lower lip because he felt very funny emotionally with the contact. Almost how he did at the airport a couple of years ago. "That's the best advice I can give you. I'd always wished that I'd held out for someone special. Having stories about hooking up with girls in stupid places like bathrooms and their parents' bed isn't something to be proud of. When you find the right person, it'll happen just like you'd wanted it to."

"I'm sure it will," Sanji said, jerking his hand back. Then, to his horror, he realized his body was reacting to the moment. He turned and marched into the bathroom with a slam of the door, utterly mortified that he had a boner. And his hand sizzled with Law's touch and he was totally confused because he loved girls, but a man had made him react. He went to the sink and hurriedly splashed his face with cold water, then adjusted his erection against the waistband of his underwear so the weird feeling would cause it to shrink. Propping himself against the sink, he looked at himself in the mirror, looking at his horrified self.

"I want a model wife with two kids, a two story house, white picket fence and a dog named Momo and a cat named Jack!" he told himself hastily. Then he covered his face with his hands, dancing from foot to foot. "Nooooo! _No_! No! I want a model wife! With orange hair! With black hair! With huge boobs and a tiny waist and a shaved - !"

"Hey! Hurry up! I have to clean!" Penguin yelled outside of it.

Sanji used his foot to flush the toilet, then ran the sink again. Once he was sure he was okay, he left the bathroom with a huff, neatly avoiding the pail and mop Penguin had left outside of it.

"You better text me, too!" he shouted at Law, who was actually making an espresso for a flustered woman in a business suit. "If you don't, I'll come find you again!"

: :

Later that evening, as they were getting ready to close up, the door opened with a cheery jingle. Shachi and Penguin had taken the trash out, so Law looked up with a scowl, intending on scaring the customer away because he really wanted to get out of there. Only, he was looking at Corazon and Doflamingo, and he uttered a long suffering growl.

"Look at you!" Corazon exclaimed, taking a step up onto the counter and over without any regards to their surroundings. He crushed Law to him with a hug that left Law breathless.

"You're so big! Where's my little boy?" Corazon asked, suddenly sobbing.

"You're embarrassing all of us here, Cora. Calm down," Doflamingo ordered him. He held up his phone to Law, leaning over the counter, taking up much too much space. Law could barely see the Instagram photo of Sanji and Doflamingo with Cora's feather jacket in his face. "We ran into your little underage friend yesterday. He told us you worked here. I demand more likes to this photo. I look rather impressive at this angle. Tell him to change some of these hashtags."

Climbing out of Corazon's grasp, Law caught his breath and gave Corazon's hands an impatient slap as they were all over him, physically examining his shoulders, back and hair.

"That didn't mean you had to rush right over here," he said. "We'd run into each other, eventually."

"You're such a rude boy. I'd hoped you had better matters, by now. Oh well, your uncle Doffy forgives you."

"I've been waiting for those words for a very long time – _not_. Look, there's a reason why I left without saying anything. Just respect my space, all right?"

"What reason?" Doflamingo asked curiously, tilting his head. "It wasn't my fault they don't have Hot Pockets in Germany."

"It wasn't about the Hot Pockets! Or who kept eating my food – I hope you both know I spit in every one of my meals that I saved in the fridge, so if you ate it, you indirectly kissed me."

" _Ugh_ ," both of them said with revulsion.

"Both of you need to walk out in traffic and die. I finally overcame my prison eating defense system style, and can now enjoy my food. It took me years to get to this point."

"Admittedly, I am not above to taking food from small people," Doflamingo said, looking at his phone, withdrawing some tickets from his jacket pocket. Checking the scores, he said vaguely, "But I do demand to know why you left us so unexpectedly. Cora tried taking off with other people's children, but it never worked out. We were banned from Germany and we settled in Switzerland for some time, before moving to New Zealand. Have you spent summers there? Law, the Maori customs are amazing. Do you know what a 'haka' is?"

"It's about the White Rabbit."

" _Ugh_ ," both of them said again.

"Look, if you're upset about that, forget it. I realized that drug running wasn't my style. Not to say I'll participate in the sale and manufacturing of it with a collaborator if the profits are nice, but that one is definitely something I'd rather not reach for, anymore. That shit will straight up mess you up."

"You aren't involved in it, anymore? That's shocking."

"I've got my own business to run. I'll leave the drugs to someone else to handle. As much as we experimented with the idea of profiting from it, I realized too late that drugs weren't the ideal stable setting. Now, supplying manufacturers and opponents with weapons to kill each other with, now _that's_ a stable setting! Let them wipe each other out."

Then Doflamingo hit the counter, everything atop of it rumbling as wood cracked. "Law! I've waited all these years to ask you something very important! Now that you're cornered, alone, and afraid, you'll have to answer!"

"I'm not 'afraid', you shitty bastard!"

"If you hate bread so much, why the fuck did you eat all the Hot Pockets?"

"…good question."

Corazon waved that away. "The point of this is, we're happy to see that you're in such a stable setting of your own! Working a worthless job, no children - ?"

"No children."

"What about a wife?" Corazon asked, a fretful expression on his face as he examined his left hand.

"No wife. I admit, though, there were a couple of times where I'd proposed, but got over it quick once I pulled the condom off."

" _Thank_ god."

Doflamingo looked like he was going to vomit.

"So you just pulled up here to snoop?" Law asked them cautiously. "Now that you know, you'll have to leave. I'm closing up shop. I got a hot date with a virgin, tonight."

"We'll be in the area, and we'll be in touch," Corazon said, hugging him.

Doflamingo reached into one of the candy jars and pulled some out, stuffing it into his coat pocket. "You have any social media? I'm going to follow you."

"Just stalk me in person! And no social media. I'd rather look at the world as it is, take pleasure as it is, and not have to be on a stupid phone all the time." Law looked at Doflamingo pointedly, who finally looked away from the screen of his.

Doflamingo shrugged, then took a selfie with all of them, Corazon with a peace sign and Law trying to cover his face.

"I'm posting that to Instagram. Oh, and one more thing. Are you in contact with Zeff?"

"No."

"Does that girly boy know what his grandpa does?"

"No. Not at all. No clue."

"Good. That's good," Doflamingo said, looking at Corazon, who gave him a thumbs up. "Well, we're outie."

"Guys like you shouldn't say stuff like that!" Law snapped after him. "And delete that stupid picture! What kind of syndicate lord takes selfies and posts for likes?"

"Don't hate the fact that I'm popular and have a million followers."

"Ugh, you're still so embarrassing!"

Corazon kissed his cheek and stepped over the counter to follow his brother out the door, and Law wiped his face with frustration, looking at the smear of red. After they left, he looked around suspiciously, and realized Shachi and Penguin were hiding behind the corner of the nearby storage room, Penguin's phone out.

"That was so cute! That was the first time we'd ever seen you so flustered!"

"You weren't even yourself! You didn't even have a chance!"

"Haha, jerk! That's what you get for all the shit you tell us!"

Law scowled at them, then left the stool, jerking off his overalls and hat, tossing them aside. "I'm leaving. You guys close up."

"HEY!"

: :

Sanji greeted him curbside, then led the way through a narrow hallway to their condo. The place was nice, the evening cool, and the chirr of insects in the trees and brush around them were comforting. He was wearing a cardigan over a t-shirt with a deep v-neck that showed off a young chest, with lounge pants. On his feet were slippers with bunny heads on them, and he looked so cute and young that Law wanted to turn and walk – no, _run_ –because the situation made him uneasy.

But Sanji gestured at him to walk inside, and, as it had when he was young, Law was impressed with the cleanliness of the place. There were plants, framed art and Sanji's childhood pictures in the hall – it smelled fresh and clean, and from the ceiling hung plants. In the kitchen, with its spotless counters, steel stove and shelves upon shelves of kitchen supplies, it looked like a mini-restaurant. The living room was spacious, with modern furniture, art-deco art and a massive television set on one wall.

"Nice, _nice,"_ he said, approving of the place with a nod. "What's that smell?"

"When you texted, I made some snacks. I also downloaded a couple of movies. Which would you like to watch? Anime? Or The Other Woman? I have a mad crush on Cameron Diaz."

"Neither. What kind of snacks?"

"Have a seat! Wait'll you try them! I remembered what you liked and what you didn't like, so I made something special for you, picky bastard!" Sanji said, pushing him towards a chair, and then running off. Law sat stiffly, looking around himself as he propped his sword up against the arm. There were more plants – so many, was it a greenhouse? – and there was a hallway ahead of him that led to a stairway moving downstairs.

Sanji returned, and he set the tray on the coffee table with a grand flair of his hands. There was a bottle of hot sake, a cup, a few rice balls neatly packed, and a few cookies.

"Sake, huh?"

"Isn't that what all guys your age drink? I can't wait until I'm old enough," Sanji said, watching him eagerly. "Try it. Go on. I don't want to stand here all night."

As Law picked up one of the rice balls, Sanji sat on his knees and poured him some sake. The position he took made Law feel warm. He paused in mid bite, the teen totally unaware of what he looked like as he handled the pitcher carefully with a folded cloth, and neatly held the cup with both hands for him to take.

"It's imported, dry, and Papa says all of his Japanese customers loved it!"

"You don't have to serve me. That's weird."

"But that's how we do it at the restaurant. Old habits die hard, okay? Hurry up. Take it. It's hot."

Law set the rice ball down, and took the cup. The liquid burned, but it was a pleasant one, and the taste fit the setting. Sanji waited with those expectant big blue eyes of his, and when he realized Law liked it, his face bloomed with a grand smile.

"Good! I'm glad you liked it! Now, what movie would you like to watch?"

"I don't think I should stay for a movie," Law said uncomfortably.

"Why? We used to watch movies all the time! Or, would you like to read some books? How about if I show you some of my favorites?"

"No. They're probably cookbooks, aren't they? _Boring_."

"Board game?"

"No. Just…uh, well, tell me about your friends. What makes them special?"

Sanji drew out his phone, wiping the screen on his hip before sitting on the armchair rest against him. Law was uncomfortable with the teen being so close to him, pressing his bony body up against him, smelling like male musk and cookies. "This is Zoro. Roronoa. Remember way back when, when I was mad he didn't like my cookies? He still doesn't."

"Three swords, huh?"

"Three. He's going to be an amazing swordsman one day, and he's pretty tough! Seniors challenge him all the time! And this is Luffy. His grandfather's Garp. Papa says Garp sees him all the time at the restaurant. They used to work together. Anyway, Luffy's a middle schooler, but he already fights at a high school level. He's amazing, as well. He's got these rubber abilities. He's still growing into them."

"And this is Ussop. Look at his long nose. Isn't he funny? He's great at wood shop class, and he doesn't have any abilities, but he fights with a hammer and a slingshot. He's not much of a fighter but a cheerleader," Sanji said, leaning against him as he flipped through the album. "And this is my ex, Nami. Isn't she gorgeous? I couldn't keep up with her, she's so beautiful. And this is Robin, a senior."

Law used his elbow to create space between them, but that didn't bother Sanji - he crossed his legs and somehow fit on the armchair rest, still flipping through his albums to show him pictures.

"This is my girlfriend, Violette! But I think she's going to break up with me because she was talking about this one senior, and I noticed them liking each other's pictures on Insta, so I think he slipped into her DM's and I can do nothing about it but look forward! Here, this is Perona, Vivi, Hiramera, and gorgeous, _gorgeous_ Boa Hancock! Look at those boobs. Aren't they amazing? But strangely, I think Boa likes Luffy because she keeps following him everywhere, and makes him lunch and all this weird stuff. He doesn't deserve it. It's bullshit."

Sanji pushed away from him, and went looking for the remote, finding it stacked neatly in a drawer in the middle of the couch, where the middle console with drink holders and levers for the chairs was. He turned on the tv, then sat next to him, opening up another album.

"This is our school," he said, showing off a picture with the four of them posted in front of the sign. "This is the first week. I took one with the four of us next to our schools after you left. Law, what about you? What'd you like about school?"

"I was always in advanced courses. I graduated earlier than expected. Took some college. That's where I met those two."

"I remember you were so smart! I'm having problems with trig, please help me out! I can pay you a meal a night you're here," Sanji said, twisting onto his stomach, legs curled back while Law felt himself warming up with a strangely unexpected feeling.

He gestured for more sake, and Sanji put his phone down to once again resume the kneeling position, pouring carefully. Law watched him as he did so. He felt some horror rising in his thoughts as he couldn't help but take in the teen's androgynous profile, his slender neck, his blond lashes blinking every so often.

Before Sanji finished pouring, Law threw it back, then rose from the chair. "Gotta go."

"Already?" Sanji asked, putting down the pitcher and hurrying after him. "Well, wait! You didn't even show me this bad ass sword of yours! I saw you carrying it, show me."

"Uh…oh. Well…this is Kikoku," Law said, clearing his throat noisily as he picked it up from against the chair. Then his mind went blank before he could explain the name because Sanji stood too close, his eye sweeping over the sword with an awed expression.

" _Wow_ …it's so much bigger than Zoro's!" Sanji exclaimed, almost breathlessly, reaching out to stroke along the scabbard with inquisitive fingers half covered by his cardigan.

Law looked at him for a few moments, still feeling that horrifying feeling of attraction towards a kid he'd known half of his life. The way Sanji looked at his sword sent many dirty thoughts to his head.

He cleared his throat again, letting go of the sword with one hand to push Sanji's hand away. "It's, uh, a Meito blade. The fur trim here on the handguard, it's – "

Sanji was already touching it, stroking the fur wondrously, cupping it with an examining expression to test the guard's weight. The action made Law's mouth dry. "Mink? From Zou? Papa has a few blankets of the same animal."

He once again pushed Sanji from touching the sword again. "Um…it's nodachi style, which is just a description of its length. It's very long – "

"Length doesn't mean a thing. It's not the size that matters, it's how you use it that matters, right?" Sanji asked, peering up at him as he tucked hair behind his ear, ring glinting in the television light.

Law stared at him for a few moments, body stiff with a hot blooded rush that went to areas he didn't want it to go to. Not for a kid that he grew up with. But when Sanji looked up at him like that, with so much promise in his features to be attractive as fuck when he was finally Law's age, it was hard not to hear that little voice at the back of his head that said ' _Attack_!'

"Right," he said stiffly. "I need to go."

"Okay, well, thanks for coming over! We should hang out again, sometime," Sanji said cheerfully. He then reached out to hug him, but Law kept the sword between them, and pushed back because he did not want the teen to learn just what sort of a bad idea that was. Sanji then kicked his shin with his, and it hurt Law enough to make him look at Sanji with a frown. "Jerk. You're still afraid of hugs?"

"Guys don't hug. _Shit_. Back up. You're _smothering_ me, goddammit, I'm going to kick you!"

"There's that guy I remembered, saying assy things when I try and be nice to him," Sanji said with a disappointed frown. "C'mon, I'll show you to the door, shit bastard."

"I probably won't see you this weekend," Sanji then said, walking backward as Law followed uncomfortably. He wanted to adjust himself, his jeans too tight, but the teen wouldn't look away. "I'll be working. I told Mr. Flamingo and Mr Cora – "

"Just say their names normally. You're not a kid."

"They didn't object when I talked to them. You're so grumpy all of a sudden. Did you not like what I made? I'm surprised you didn't say anything, yet."

"No."

Sanji reached up and grabbed his jaw, growling. "Just because you're bigger than me doesn't mean I can't kick you in the face, again! I will!"

Law slapped his hands away, then pushed him to get some space between them. "Get your girlish fingers off me! Goddamn virgin. Run out in traffic. Stick your stupid head in the oven. Fuck."

Sanji looked at him with disbelief, then gave an insulted expression. As soon as Law jerked the door open, Sanji kicked him in the back.

"Asshole! Find some damn manners when you're out there!" Sanji snapped, slamming the door behind him.

Law turned to kick the door and stomped off, utterly frustrated with himself. There was only one thing to do.

: :

When Sanji finally made it to the coffee shop Monday afternoon, Zoro yawning behind him, he was dismayed to see the "Closed" sign in place. The shop was closed down, the property under the city bank's possession. There were many disappointed customers lingering about, looking at their phones, trying to find the reason as to why it had shut down so unexpectedly.

"Oh," he said slowly, fiddling with the ring on his finger. "He must've had to leave, again."

"Who is this guy you're obsessed with?"

"Remember? We used to walk home together. The guy with the hat."

"The animal hat?"

"Yeah! That one!"

"Never knew him."

"That's why I was going to introduce you! Agh, you don't listen!"

"Let's go eat, then. I'm hungry. If he's gone, he's gone."

"Let me text his uncle," Sanji said, shooting off a quick text to Doflamingo. He got an instant reply, but he expected that, considering how the man never put his phone down. "He doesn't know, either."

As they began walking away, Sanji giving a dejected sigh, his phone beeped again. Uncle Doffy had just told him that the coffee shop had been closed down because all the workers quit on Saturday, and their apartment had been abandoned. When a picture was sent of a plane ticket to Greece and Corazon's 'peace' sign, Sanji shook his head.

Sanji gave a sigh of frustration. "Ugh, these guys!"

"It's weird how a top syndicate head texts you about his nephew so freely," Zoro said. "Shouldn't they be avoiding shit like this?"

"I don't care. How many years until I see you again, you bastard?" Sanji asked, looking up at the autumn afternoon sky, putting his phone away.

"Oh, hey, look what Luffy was given at school, today," Zoro then said, digging into his pocket. Once Sanji saw the vacuum sealed pill, he took it with a shocked look. "He thought it was candy, but Ussop took it from him. No one knows what it is."

"It's the White Rabbit. It's a drug. It's not for us to take," Sanji said, pocketing it. "Let's go find them."

"Like LSD, or something?"

"I'll explain when we get everyone together. It's a new thing, I guess. I know a little about it."

: :

"You had that boy _here_?" Zeff asked cautiously, lowering his teacup as he looked at Sanji with a heavy frown. "At our place?"

"Yeah. We visited for a little while. I, uh, gave him some sake. He's older, I thought it'd be okay," Sanji said, playing with the little pill while Zeff grilled him. It was still in its plastic wrap, and the stamp of the white rabbit reflected just slightly in the afternoon sun. He had it rolling against his thigh, just out of Zeff's sight, so it looked like he was just playing with the couch. "I just wanted to catch up with him, hang out like we used to."

Zeff shook his head with a heavy frown. "Times have changed, kid. It won't be so easy connecting with someone as old as he is. He's an age apart from you. He's a man, now. With his own agenda, his own likes, his own demons. You two won't connect on the same level as before. I'm surprised he agreed to come over."

"He seems okay. We talk to each other the same, almost."

"You're a good kid, let's keep it that way. And don't you _ever_ invite that family back to the restaurant again," Zeff warned him sternly. "I was pretty upset when Carne told me that you'd served them Saturday."

"Why?"

"Just don't. The likes of them don't belong in places we frequent. I told them years ago to stay away from you and ours, to keep their shit to themselves."

Sanji scowled, wondering why Zeff didn't elaborate. Doffy and Cora were pretty friendly, and they had liked the food. With Doffy's Instagram recommendations alone, they'd received a spike of business for the week. But Zeff had been pretty upset about it.

As his grandfather got up to put away the bottle of tea he'd been enjoying, Sanji looked at the pill again. He held it up to the sunlight, wondering if the white rabbit would lead him back to Law, or if Law would be led back to him.

They kept coming back together, circling each other within a mysterious pull, and he was pretty sure it was a hole built by their families that kept beckoning him to come and explore it. He pushed the pill into his pocket and picked up his Ipad, intending on downloading the Disney movie to his collection. Then he looked at his phone, morosely noting that there was no text from the number that remained nameless.

While he waited for his movie to download, he checked Doffy's Instagram for any clues as to where the brothers were – hoping to see Law in one of their pictures like the one he'd faved the night they visited him - and recognized the taco truck that used to come by the apartment all the time. But it was a ruined, burned out shell of metal, and his only comment was a sad face.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I couldn't resist. :D**

 **This chapter will start venturing into the rabbit hole! Growing up is hard. :D**

 **Part Four:**

… **Don't Do Anything At All**

The guy facing off with him was just a little taller, with intense black eyes and a bat with rusty nails driven into it. Sanji saw him when their schools competed against each other in different sports activities, but never gave him that much attention. But he swung the bat fiercely, having removed his winter jacket and school blazer, setting that aside while Sanji loosened his collar and tie, and slid his hands into his pockets. This would be an easy battle because the guy was already sweaty and breathing anxiously, and he himself was cool and quiet.

"If you lose, I get all your dvds!" Zoro called out to him, sitting with Nami on a park bench.

"I've got a bunch of money on you!" Nami called, her short hair pinned in pigtails, bangs fluttering in the cold, winter breeze. All of them were wearing their winter gear, and there was white snow on the ground around them. The skies were dark with an incoming snowstorm, and when Sanji exhaled, he saw his breath.

"Your friends overestimate you! You're easy work!" the guy growled, bat raised and a charge forward.

Sanji easily avoided the swing of the bat, ducking and shifting, hands still in his pockets – when he saw his opening, he kicked out easily; knocking him off balance, and then jumping forward with a series of handstands and kicks and sweeps, and the kid was knocked to the ground without his bat and a dazed look to his face.

The two cheered on the bench as he walked away, because the unspoken rule was if an opponent fell without rising back up in seconds, then the fight was over. He was sure the rules were different out of high school – the three of them had witnessed their fair share of battles to the death.

"I thought this would be more interesting," he confessed, sliding his hands back into his pockets as he walked back. At seventeen, he was a few inches taller, his voice was deeper, and he had started to fill out. He didn't look so childish, anymore, his face taking on a more defined structure, his eyes not so wide and his jawline sharper. His blond fringe still hung over his face, trimmed neatly at the neckline, and he didn't let the girls play with his hair anymore. As he grew older, starting to leave behind childish whims and fantasies, his journey towards adulthood included more serious themes.

Such as learning his place in the world and realizing that there were more rabbit holes than the one he'd thought he'd known.

"Behind you, idiot," Zoro warned, gesturing with his chin. Sanji paused and looked back, watching as the guy slipped something white into his mouth.

"Step out of there," Nami said sharply, rising from the bench. "He took that stuff! Coward!"

"I'm not admitting defeat when I'd already beat him," Sanji said firmly, turning to face him, watching as the guy shook out his limbs and watched him with a slow smile. "I'll have to take you out before you get too much of a high."

"It's an instant thing!" the guy shouted, charging again. As he closed the distance between them, Sanji noticed that his movements were quicker, and his pupils were widening, his teeth baring as a thin layer of froth built at the corner of his mouth.

"That was way too fast!" he stated, vaguely alarmed as he readied himself. The bat swung faster, harder, and it took all he could to avoid being hit. He leapt back, then swept his feet out from under him – the guy twisted and was charging again, and Sanji hastily stepped to the side, lifting his legs to strike out. But once he felt the shift of the bat's path, he felt the strength of it behind it – he knew he could come away seriously hurt if that bat hit.

"I'm coming in!" Zoro warned, ready to back him up, Nami pushing at him to intervene.

"Give me a minute!' Sanji told him, moving frantically to keep ahead of the guy's aggressive charge. But suddenly that bat missed his head by centimeters, slamming into the snow covered ground, and when the guy lunged at him, his movement was much faster than before, and he couldn't even say anything to have Zoro step in. All he saw was the bat coming at him, and he moved, he _knew_ he did, but those rusted nails were closer and the guy's face was manic with bloodlust. Sanji could smell the chemical coming from his sweat, a strong acidic scent that made his eyes water.

Then he was looking at Zoro's startled face, and there was a loud cracking sound that sounded too far away, so when Sanji caught himself and turned, he was seeing the guy's bat split over the long sword that sliced much too easily through nail and wood. Sanji's opponent reared back and struck over and over without much success in hitting his newest prey.

Then the guy fell apart in literal pieces, and Nami shrieked, all of them reacting with startled expressions because they hadn't even seen the sword move in that fashion to perform the feat. Amazing thing was, the guy was still alive, but he was too busy slashing at the air with his missing hands, struggling to reach an opponent.

Sanji felt a hand atop of his head, and looked over to seeing Penguin grinning at him, and the man wasn't that much taller than him, anymore. Neither was Shachi, both of them wearing mismatched winter street wear and wearing winter hats with matching snowflake designs.

"Hey, kid, didn't we warn you not to play around with that?" Penguin asked him.

With a frustrated frown, Sanji turned and looked at the others. "This one doesn't count as anything. I beat him before he took the pill."

"Fair and square," Nami agreed, as Zoro lifted a sword, pointing at Penguin.

"Who are these guys?" he asked.

"Nobody important," Sanji answered shortly, much to their dismay.

"Well, well, well, somebody's growing up into a mature little shit," Shachi said with a snicker, holding a latex gloved hand up with some pebbles. Right before their eyes, those pebbles changed into a nearly dissolved pill and he dumped it into a baggie. Next to him stood a polar bear in a winter coat and a fluffy hat with pom-poms atop of it, and he watched the scene with his mouth half open.

Sanji frowned, and glared at the man walking over to him, sheathing his sword. Sullenly, he asked, "Where have you been?"

"I'm back," Law said with a slight smile.

"You're _not_ welcome here."

"Uh oh, somebody's hormones are changing," came the smooth reply, and Sanji could only glare at the older man, noting the new differences between them.

Law was taller, again. Thicker in the shoulders and chest, older with sharply cut features, and impossibly more attractive. His hair was neatly groomed, his sideburns thicker, and while the animal hat was still present,. Sanji seethed with his lips tight, fists curled because he'd never catch up.

"It's the new strain," Shachi announced, passing a black light over the pill. "It would've disappeared in another minute."

"What did I tell you?" Law asked Sanji sharply. "I told you not to fuck around when you see guys taking this shit."

"I had him handled."

"Oh, yeah, you did. Very well. And you, you took too long to intervene," Law said, gesturing at Zoro. "What's the good of having three swords if you don't use a single one to help a friend?"

"Who the hell are you to even lecture me?" Zoro asked incredulously, Nami rising to stand with the two.

"Stupid kids."

"What he means is, this particular strain of White Rabbit is stronger, faster to dissolve, and it amplifies everything in moments. It's not like the old ones that were just starting to pop up around here two years ago," Penguin said, standing in front of Zoro with a peacekeeping gesture. "Your friend could have been seriously hurt. Look at this guy, here."

The three teens looked over, watching as the pieces of guy struggled to put themselves back together. But he was frothing at the mouth, seizing, uttering sounds that didn't sound human. His fingers kept scratching at the sky, and his legs kicked uselessly.

"It'll take at least half an hour for him to calm down," Shachi said with a disgusted look. "Put him back together, bro. We'll call an ambulance."

"Let him suffer," Law said, looking at Sanji. "Are you really giving me attitude after I saved your shitty life?"

"Eat shit," Sanji told him, turning away. "Let's go."

" _Yikes_ ," Nami said to him, clutching his arm with another glance back.

Zoro sheathed his sword, but with a nonplussed expression, he followed after the others. Law scowled at Sanji's back, unable to think of a reason why the kid treated him so differently than he did two years ago. But he withdrew his cellphone from his jacket and texted with one thumb.

Moments later, Sanji turned and flipped him off, phone in hand. He strode off with a furious stomp and Law shrugged again.

"We were all that age, once," he said, putting his phone away and walking back to the guy rolling around in the snow, to put him back together again.

"Why the hell does that kid get off easier than we do?" Shachi complained. "I complain about the weather, I get a boot to the face. I eat a crunchy taco, I get my pop spilled. I undress for the shower and I get a complaint that I'm taking all the hot water!"

"It's really not fair," Penguin added. "I was this close to popping that kid for that expression he gave me."

"Do it when he's not looking – he'll probably take you apart."

"He's unreasonably nice to that kid."

"He's freaking creepy about it, too."

" _He's a closet pervert_!" they both yelled.

The bear grunted, paws to his face with horror.

Later on, Sanji glared at his phone, scrolling through his timeline for something distracting. But he'd already looked at all the gag reels to various movies, recipes for baked chicken and half naked chicks on an island across the globe. He was sprawled out on his bed at home, some light jazz on in the background, and he was sulking.

He wasn't that cheerful teen that had been happy to see Law two years ago – he had a lot of pent up anger and resentment and he couldn't figure out _why_. He stared out at his room – an immaculate set up with a queen sized bed with _adult_ sheets, a desk with neatly arranged books atop, plants hanging from the corners of the room and pictures of various cafes throughout the world on the walls.

"Ugh, where's the fun?" Luffy often complained when he visited. "It's like walking into the old man's room!"

Sanji had thrown out all the manga, all the anime, the little things that girls had bought him and every bit of his childhood that had been on display. He didn't feel like returning to that time where he felt happy and carefree because he had forgotten what it felt like.

He looked at his phone when it buzzed with a text, and saw the unfamiliar number pop up. He glared at the screen and shoved his phone to the floor. He wasn't going to reply any time soon because he wasn't ready to talk to the man just yet. He was angry and he didn't know how to sort through it to make the situation any better.

The next day, he sat with Nami and the others at their usual table, and he chewed on the end of a pocky stick while Nami counted out hundred dollar bills and slipped them into various envelopes. Zoro was sleeping atop of the table, Luffy was cramming microwaved plastic food into his mouth, and Ussop was finishing up last period's homework. The cafeteria was loud with teenage voices and laughter, and the smells were disgusting. He'd brought his own lunch from home, but didn't finish it – he gave it to Luffy instead.

"Who was that guy, Sanji?" Nami asked him curiously.

"Just a shithead from my past. We lived in the same complex," Sanji answered shortly.

"Kinda seemed surprised that you were mad at him."

"He's just a shithead."

"Right. So, what were they doing? They knew about the White Rabbit."

"I don't know, I don't care to ask or anything."

"That guy could've really hurt you."

"No, I had him right where I wanted him. I'm not a damsel in distress. It sucked that he felt he needed to jump in and do that," Sanji said tightly, finishing the stick with an angry frown. "After being gone all this time."

Nami wrote the amount of each envelope, then handed them to him. "That's all of it, for the month."

With a sigh, Sanji took them and tucked them into his messenger bag. He rose from the table and walked off with barely a wave. The campus was peaceful when the cafeteria was full. There were students lingering in the halls, but not too many, and he could walk through them without being distracted by a cute girl or a boy with shit to say. Hands in his pockets, Sanji felt his phone vibrate against his thigh but he didn't look at it.

By the time he reached the second floor and walked into the art room, he was composed and focused and the three seniors that faced him gave him bored expressions. The man sitting behind them was sipping at a hot cup of tea and gazing out the window.

"Delivery."

"It's about damn time we received our payment," teacher Kuro said, pushing his glasses up with sharp tipped fingernails. "You damn kids take too long with it."

"Deal with it. It's all accounted for," Sanji said, reaching into his bag and tossing it onto the desk while the three seniors watched him venomously. "And tell these assholes to relax. I might be tempted to kick them."

"You talk big, but you're small fry yourself," Kuro said, picking up the package. He held up a gallon sized baggie of white pills. "These need to be gone by the end of the week, and I want the money back by Tuesday."

"Whatever. Just give it to me," Sanji said, taking the bag when it was tossed to him. He stuffed it into his bag, flipped the seniors off, then walked out from the room with his hands in his pockets. He wished he had a cigarette. The habit was new, but the need for nicotine had been more urgent than he was expecting.

He finally looked at his phone and saw that Law was asking him to meet him at the coffee shop. When Sanji hadn't answered, he'd sent a series of emojis that didn't fit and spammed his phone every hour. Sanji took a few moments to send a middle finger emoji and left it at that.

After school, Zoro yawned and held up a weekly advertisement to a noodle shack down the street, so Sanji went with him, holding onto his bag tightly. While there, he passed the pills out and took the cash, and Zoro ate his noodles without bothering to ask why Sanji had such attitude about it.

As they walked towards home, they passed by three other men that waited patiently for their pills, Sanji taking their money, and Zoro folded his arms behind his head and complained, "When will we be done doing this?"

"Until Nami's debt is paid off," Sanji said, but it felt like he was repeating himself. "We're closer to our goal this week."

"What's our motivation, again?"

"Keeping Arlong from killing her and her family."

"Ah, that's right. Kuro took it without saying anything weird, again?"

"Yeah."

"Kinda wish we didn't have to do this, anymore," Zoro said low, looking out at the city with a wistful expression. "It was easier just fighting."

"It was easier just being a kid," Sanji admitted with a sigh, reaching into his bag for another pill as another customer approached them. He felt his phone vibrate, and he gave it an impatient look as Zoro waited for him. Then he shoved the bag to Zoro. "Take this home. I'll text you later."

"Where are you going?"

"To the coffee shop."

"Why?"

"Because if I don't go, that guy behind us will tell Law what we're doing," Sanji said, pointing at the polar bear standing just a short distance away from them, holding a cellphone. Zoro looked startled that they were watched.

"Why? Like I care that guy knows what we're doing," Zoro complained.

"Then he'll tell Zeff. I thought we agreed we're not telling that old bastard anything."

With a reluctant look, Zoro took the bag, placing it over his head as Sanji walked away, the bear waving at Zoro.

Zoro waved back in reaction, then caught himself. He turned and headed off to home.

At the coffee shop, Sanji strode in with a pissed expression and stood at the counter with an impatient sound as Law smiled at him from over the register.

"Look at you, all nearly grown up and shit," Law said, ignoring the look Sanji was giving him. "But you're still wearing your ring."

Sanji tucked his hands into his pocket. "What do you want?"

"What's with the attitude?"

Sanji glared at him, refusing to answer. Law looked at him for a few seconds, then said, "Must've been rough. How'd you get mixed up with Arlong?"

"Nami. She had a debt."

"So you think selling for him will break that debt?"

"We're close to our goal."

"Do you realize how stupid that sounds?"

"Shut up! Know it all."

"He's only fucking around with your goddamn head, brat. How many times have you been 'close to your goal'?"

Sanji scowled off to the side, and Law snorted, snapping his fingers. Shachi narrowly hit him with a full cup of hot tea if he hadn't leaned forward to avoid it.

"I'm not a slave!"

"You responded first, so give me your phone."

Grumbling, Shachi handed it over, and Law scrolled for a few things before showing Sanji the content. Sanji stepped closer to the counter to look and saw the forum with unfamiliar names and topics – one of the topics being that of Arlong's sellers, and they displayed Sanji's, Zoro's, Nami's and Ussop's school ID pictures. He felt sick knowing that some people he didn't know had put up their identification up for mysterious people to see. He didn't even know what this site was.

His expression filled with worry and frustration.

"Now that you're out there, any syndicate looking knows who you work for. And more than likely…" Law trailed off, looking at Sanji with a frown. "How's Zeff?"

"Busy. Like usual."

"No longer 'Papa'?"

Sanji shrugged a shoulder, indicating that he didn't care to explain. Law studied him for a few seconds. The teen standing in front of him definitely wasn't the happy, androgynous boy he'd left – he had maturing facial features, with thickening shoulders and a new height; his hair was cut just a little shorter, his clothes were sharply tailored to fit him with a sophisticated air, and when he looked at Law, it was with an expression that nearly mirrored his years ago. Fed-up with slivers of exasperation, thinly veiled disgust and with absolutely no patience. It was almost as if he were looking at a stranger.

"You have such attitude right now," he commented lightly, because that was exactly what needed to be said at that moment.

"Eat a dick and choke!"

Shachi and Penguin whistled at Sanji's response, while Law looked amused. He tossed the phone over his shoulder, Shachi diving quick to save it. Something broke and fell to the floor as he skid into a shelf with inside dining cups, and Penguin laughed, the customers looking at them with panic and alarm.

"And I don't have 'attitude'," Sanji said with his arms crossed, giving him a venomous stare.

"This is _totally_ all attitude."

"It's a perception problem with you."

"How is it a perception problem when you're standing there with that face?"

"Don't look at my face, then."

"How am I supposed to talk to you if I can't look at your face?"

"Then don't talk to me. But I don't have an attitude problem, right now. I'm just tired."

"It's like being a third wheel to a couple fighting about where to eat in the front seat, and you're sitting in the back seat, just wanting McDonald's," Penguin said to Shachi as the redhead returned to him.

"It's pretty uncomfortable. I feel, as a professional, that this could be handled differently, in a setting away from the workplace."

"Look, Sanji, whatever it is you're mad about, don't disregard what I have to say. Whatever it is Arlong is threatening your little girlfriend with, it can't be that bad. Anybody can lie to your face and tell you they have power over you just to make you do something."

"Like _this_?" Sanji asked, gesturing at himself and then him.

" _Kobe_ ," Penguin commented, making a mock three-pointer shot over Shachi's outstretched hands.

Law finally looked at them, and they turned in other directions, wiping counters and cheerily asking customers how they were doing. Then he looked at Sanji with a pissed expression.

He rose from the stool. "Going on break!"

"You just came back from break!"

"Let's go for a walk," he said to Sanji, ignoring Shachi's protest. When Sanji didn't move, he sighed, walking off without him. In a few moments, Sanji was outside, and an elderly woman that had been walking by Law was suddenly at the counter, blinking with confused action.

Sanji didn't know how he did it, but his face reddened, and he crossed his arms tightly and glared at the older man as he walked down the sidewalk. The snowy conditions around them made the streets slushy and dangerous, salt on the sidewalk preventing accidental slips. There were people walking all around them, a construction worker with a thermos walking by Law as Law looked back to see if Sanji were following. When he saw that he wasn't, he lifted his hand. Suddenly Sanji was at his side, and he stumbled, looking back at the coffee shop with surprise. The construction worker was in his place, looking around with bewildered action, dropping his coffee.

"I can do this all day, you little shit," Law warned him, slipping his hands into his overall pockets. "Now, talk. What was the deal Arlong made with you?"

"Nami worked for him, before. She got caught up in that scene – she thought it was just a normal job, making maps for him."

"Maps of what?"

"The routes we take from school. Not just us, but all the kids from the school. She thought he was going to improve the routes because he'd presented her with a proposal to the city, but it wasn't that at all. By the time she realized that they were only using those routes to target kids from school for drug sales, it was too late. He threatened to kill her and her family if she didn't do this. So, of course, I helped, and the others joined in, too."

"Why didn't you say something to anybody else?"

"Because he was going to kill her!"

"Stupid."

Sanji reddened with rage, and he kicked out, causing Law to stumble awkwardly. "We did what we could! Don't make light of our situation! jack ass!"

"You are just an unpleasant hormonal teenager with an attitude problem!"

" _I don't have attitude_! Stop saying that!"

"Touch me again, and I'll kick your ass in front of everyone out here!"

" _Do it_!" Sanji challenged him, stepping up to him. Law glared down at him, then leaned over, sniffing suspiciously.

"Did you take up smoking?" he asked.

"What, did I need your permission to do that, to? And who the hell are you to even think you has a say in what I do? Last time I checked, I'm not a kid, anymore."

'Oh, no you're not," Law said, looking him up and down with a smirk.

Sanji stared at him suspiciously. "What's that look mean?"

"You don't look so gay this time around."

"Yeah, well, your face hasn't changed much – it still looks like ass."

"Why are you so angry?"

"Why do you even care? You're just going to be gone, again!"

"Is that what this is about? I have no commitments here."

"Then _what_ do you do?"

"I can't get into that, right now – "

"When _can_ you? Or do you still think I'm just a kid, that I don't know anything? Or maybe you want to 'keep me young' and not tell me anything, and have me figure it out later, then try and get pissed about the decisions I do make without your goddamn interference? Huh?"

"This is way too weird. You sound like my ex girlfriend. She was always trying to pin me down, too, and I left because I commit to nobody but myself."

"Ooh, real tough guy standing over here." Sanji then cupped his hands to his mouth, shouting, "Hey! Everyone! Here's a tough guy! He makes his own damn decisions over here! Check him out!"

"What is wrong with you, Sanji?" Law snapped at him, snatching his arm and forcing him to face him. "What is with you?"

"Eat shit and _die_ ," Sanji snapped back, then turned and strode off in the other direction. Law didn't follow or say anything – he just watched the teen go with a bewildered expression, having no idea how to unravel the mess that just happened. He looked over to the side, where Bepo waved at him from the corner.

Later that evening, as he was eating with Zeff during one of his rare nights off, he noticed that the older man looked grumpier than usual. For the past year, their relationship hadn't been the same. Sanji snapped at him a lot, protested a lot of the rules, and was easily exasperated with him. Zeff did try to sit down and talk to him, but it seemed that the more he worked and left Sanji on his own, the more the teen seemed further away from him. He'd always allowed Sanji his independence and freedom because that was the type of child he'd always was, but now he had to wonder if he'd given him way too much because now Sanji seemed impossible to reach.

"How was school?" Zeff asked, their silverware clanking noisily against their dishes. Sanji was picking at his soup, eating items individually and as slowly as possible as the older man cut his steak into thin pieces before dipping them into his soup to eat.

"I'm passing all my classes. Graduation's coming up, soon, and they're asking for senior pictures," Sanji mumbled. He cleared his throat and sat up straight in his chair. "There were three fights on campus, but they were underclassmen. One of them overdosed on some weird shit."

"Another overdose? What is happening out in school that this is acceptable?" Zeff asked incredulously.

Sanji shrugged. "I don't know."

Zeff dropped his fork, the sound loud in the quiet dining room. Sanji looked at him with a start, noting how tense and frustrated the man looked. But Zeff picked up his fork and exhaled slow, resuming eating.

"How's Nami?"

"Gorgeous as ever. I keep asking her out but she doesn't want to go out with me. One day, I'll wear her down."

"Sometimes, it just doesn't work and you should leave it at that."

"But she flirts back, and we're always holding hands and she texts me all these nice things, so if that isn't a signal, then I don't know what is."

Zeff sighed heavily. "I just think you should move on from that girl and find somebody more ready to return your feelings. What's special about her?"

"She's beautiful. She's very smart. And she has reasonable demands. I don't mind jumping when she asks for it."

Zeff sighed again.

"Plus, she has the best body out of all of them, and I just wish she'd give me a chance."

"Girls have always made you stupid," Zeff said impatiently. "Listen to yourself. You sound like a damn pervert. Obviously, this girl wants none of you and you keep pushing yourself out to her like a desperate dandy, and you make yourself look bad. Pull away from her, forget about having a girlfriend, and just focus on the next thing."

"I know what I want. Your advice sounds stupid. She'll come around."

They ate in silence for a few more minutes, Sanji sullenly stirring his soup. Then he said, "Law's back in town."

Zeff dropped his fork again.

"I don't want to talk to him, this time. Like, when he came back, what was I supposed to do? Jump with joy? He's only going to leave without saying anything again."

Zeff took in the angry expression that he'd used to speak with, the glare on his features. Knowing that that angry faced boy was back in town left him feeling some type of way. He couldn't give it away, though. Sanji was too perceptive, sometimes. "Why are you so attached to that boy?"

Sanji shrugged. "I just wish I could be where he is, now. If I had his looks, I'd never be alone."

"Is that what this is? You're _lonely_? You've got friends!"

"Honestly, I just want to fall in love and have someone love me back."

With exasperation, Zeff wiped his face with one hand, letting his hand fall onto the table with a heavy thump. "Sanji, it will come when it happens! You can't force it! You keep setting yourself up for failure! You go overboard! As your grandfather, I'm telling you, you're going about things wrong, and it hurts me to see you hurt over it! You need to lay off these idiot girls and just focus on your life as it's going, now."

Sanji sulked over his soup.

"If you're not going to eat, you're excused from the table. But clean up before you do anything else," Zeff muttered with frustration.

Sanji took his soup and utensils into the kitchen, and Zeff winced and cringed at the violent sounds he made with unloading the dishwasher, loading it again.

 _Teenagers_ , he thought darkly.

The next morning, as Sanji and Zoro sat together on a park bench, watching Luffy fight two boys at once, Sanji pulled his cigarettes out from his jacket pocket and lit one up. Zoro got up from the bench and sat on the other side of him, watching Luffy fight. Exhaling slowly in the cold air, Sanji looked up at the clouded skies and wondered what the day held. He looked over at the approach of two men, and once the exchange happened, Luffy had beaten one boy into the snow, and the other was heaving nearby.

"He needs to be finished," Zoro said.

"Where do we go from here, have you ever wondered?" Sanji asked him. "Where do all these fights lead up, to?"

"Recruitment into syndicates," Zoro answered him with a bored tone. "That's what Nami said. You probably weren't listening."

"What if I don't want to be recruited?"

"I guess you have that choice."

"Do we?"

"I really don't know. I honestly don't care. I just want to fight. I've easily won too many competitions, and all my opponents don't bring the same amount of intensity to the competition as these guys do on the street. That's all I'm looking for. I think you can start one of your own, but I don't know how that works."

"What is a 'syndicate', anyway?" Sanji wondered aloud.

"I don't know. Just that they're everywhere. Fighting each other over territory and recruits."

Sanji looked at his cigarette, then watched as Luffy beat the last boy, but it was much too easy for him. He cheered, hopping in place.

"I wish they focused more on explaining real life shit to us in school, rather than making it a big point of passing a damn biology quiz. What's a fucking 'syndicate'? Why is the White Rabbit evolving? Why is there no one around to explain this stuff to us? If there was another way to get out of Nami's debt for her, I would've been all for it."

"Yeah," Zoro said vaguely, rising as Luffy walked over to them. "That would've been helpful."

At home, Sanji stared at his phone. He tapped the screen a few times, chasing the locking screen away. Then he rolled onto his back and slowly typed out a question, feeling annoyed with himself over it. But he felt he couldn't ask anybody else – Zeff gave him vague answers that indicated he didn't know anything, and the teachers at school were uncomfortable answering any of the students' questions when it came to such things as well. Then he laid the phone over his forehead and exhaled slowly, listening to the jazz station playing softly in the background. The old man was at work, and Sanji had finished his homework and had nothing else to do. He was lying in the living room with his text books around him, his iPad set to Youtube and Zoro finished his turn of Word with Friends, so Sanji was stumped on the next.

When the phone vibrated against him, he picked it up and frowned. Why would Law never come over when Zeff was there? Why did he treat the older man so cryptically? With an annoyed face, he sent a reply. Then he tapped on the Instagram icon so he could see what the Donquixote brothers were up to – last week's pic, Doffy and Corazon were ziplining in Brazil, much to the annoyed faces of their minions.

Sanji nearly shrieked and dropped his phone on his face because suddenly Law was standing over him. He was wearing that black jacket with a grey t-shirt with that weird "happy virus" thing he'd drawn on Sanji's hand a couple years back, and jeans that didn't miss a thing. There was still snow on his boots. His hat was pulled low, allowing only his eyes visible, not those slashes of eyebrows that were rarely seen with the hat.

"How do you do that?" he asked, rolling over with a hasty action.

"I'm a vampire."

" _Shut_ up."

"Before anything else is said, I'm warning you – that attitude gets put away, _now_ , because I'm not putting up with baby Sanji, tonight. I'd rather talk to a kid that wants to listen," Law said, sword leaning on one shoulder, warning expression set. "You can wear whatever face you want, but once that mouth opens and drops some shit, I'll smack it. Try me."

Sanji opened his mouth to talk back, but he let it go. He wore a glare for a few moments, then finally stood up from the floor. "Fine. Truce. Only because I need some things answered. And my rule – "

"You don't get to lay rules with me."

"This is _my_ place!"

"I don't need to be here."

Sanji growled, nearly throwing his hands in the air, feeling furious for a few moments. Then he calmed himself, sitting on the couch with a hard flounce. Law had to wonder if he'd been this dramatically angry at that age – he probably was. He felt embarrassed at himself.

" _Fine_. Damn."

"Zeff won't be coming back any time soon, will he?"

"No. He's at work. First off, why do you avoid him? The way you talk about him, he's someone you're trying to avoid."

"Did he ever tell you why you'd moved?"

"Yeah, for his job."

"Is this question part of the one that you wanted to see me so bad for? Because I'm only allowing three questions, tonight."

" _Why_ are you such an asshole? Can you let up on that fucking superiority bullshit attitude of your own?"

"Ask your fucking question."

"Why do you avoid Zeff?"

"Because he's an adult. Next."

"That's not a good enough answer! That says nothing – you're avoiding him for an entirely different reason, and you're not the only one to say something weird regarding him, so why the fuck can't you answer that question to my satisfaction?"

" _Next_ question."

"That question wasn't even properly answered! Why is it you people can't give us a straight answer? Why do we have to find out the hard way about things? You're such a fucking asshole! What good are you to me if you can't even answer a goddamn question?"

"Lower your damn voice."

"I'll talk however I want to! I bet you know absolutely nothing! Go fuck yourself! You're such a jerk - !"

In moments, Sanji's head whipped to the side, and the sting of the hit flared moments later. He clapped his hand over his mouth with a stunned expression, tasting blood as the inside of his cheek swelled. He looked at Law with shock, rendered voiceless.

"I warned you I'd smack the shit out of that mouth. I'll do it again, but the next time it happens, I'll break that jaw of yours. You want to challenge that, then start yelling at me again. You drop that attitude, you lower your voice, and you take what's being given to you. Depending on what you're asking, I will answer to the very best of my ability, and depending on what you know, I'll answer," Law said firmly. "You have very valid reasons behind your questions, and I'd rather you learn from me than from anybody else that might steer you in the wrong direction. But you need to stop with the hormonal outrages. Is this understood?"

In a stunned silence, hand still to his mouth, Sanji nodded.

"Now, ask another question. The one about your grandfather can be returned at a later time."

For a few moments, Sanji had no other questions. He just felt hurt – surprised. He'd been hit plenty of times before in street battles, but not like this. Not by someone he knew – other than Nami, but that didn't count. Then he lowered his hand, swallowing the taste of blood before he asked quietly, "What are syndicates?"

"They're small crime organizations that share a common interest – while they can be rivals with each other, they also work with each other to reach a common goal. The one goal right now is perfecting the White Rabbit. The distribution of this drug can promote their quality to the street, giving them a fair advantage over another – no one knows where it originated from, it was just there. Meanwhile, these groups will build themselves into a certain power that makes them fair competition in manufacturing and distributing this drug. Others will work with it, others will work against it – but the common goal is this: the White Rabbit. Whoever makes the best batch to give the best results will be the one in control over others.

"Your distributer, Arlong, doesn't have a very impressive stash. That's what's causing the overdoses in this area. You're dealing potential death to your classmates, how does that on your conscious make you feel?" Law asked him curiously, setting his sword aside as he closed the distance between them. He reached out and touched the teen's face, feeling the hot skin under his fingers. Sanji looked at up him with surprise, startled at the contact. "And I didn't hit you that hard, it's just the shock that has rendered you into silence. I warned you I would. You're such a brat, sometimes."

"We don't have a choice. They'll kill Nami. They told us."

"Then tell Zeff what you're involved in."

"I can't! Why should I? If he found out that I'm in this, he'll be so upset! I'm surprised that I'm still involved – I never thought I would be, but I couldn't just ignore her when she confessed to what was happening. And Arlong said he'd do something to our families, as well, and I can't risk anything happening to Zeff because of me."

"I'm sure you've done the very best you could, but I wish you'd brought this up to somebody outside the situation so that another solution could be found. I can help you, but you need to ask me _nicely_ ," Law then said to him, a slight smirk lighting up his features.

Sanji gave him an odd look because he sensed a weird sort of tension between them. Then he realized the other man was still touching him. His rough fingers were soothing over the area where he'd been struck, and then Sanji felt blood rushing to his face. He jerked away from him with an awkward flail of his limbs.

"What was that?" he asked on a bewildered tone. "What happened just now?"

"I don't know. Do you have a window open?"

Sanji stared at him with a clueless expression, unsure of what to think. He was pretty sure something had been about to happen, but he wasn't sure what. the tension had been much too strange, almost as if something were going to happen, but not in a threatening sense. He didn't know what, though.

"No. They're all shut," he answered dumbly.

Law suddenly looked away from him, smiling in such a twisted way that Sanji felt as if he'd missed something very big. He continued to stare at him, his eyebrows furrowed together with puzzled action.

"Sanji, personal question. You've had relationships with girls, right?"

"Of course! Why?"

"How far did you get in those relationships?"

"Not as far as I wanted," Sanji answered with frustration. "It seems like once I hit this year, I couldn't get any of them to go out with me, anymore. Maybe Penguin was right – I was friendzoned too hard. Not to say I've stopped looking – I still get numbers from girls on the street, and my phone's always blowing up with texts. Zeff won't let me do individual dates, though. Just group ones. And that's hard to do because Zoro hates going out with me."

Law laughed suddenly, and Sanji looked at him with a frown. He took a seat in the chair nearest the balcony doors, resting his boots atop of the coffee table. "You're still just a _baby_!"

"Shut up! I'm working on it! I stopped dressing in that 'homo' fashion you so sneered at, nobody plays with my damn hair but me, and I think I look pretty sharp."

"Not now, though."

"Not _now_ , because I'm home, and this is comfortable," Sanji said with a huff, looking down at his sleep tee and sweats that hung loosely around his hips, his bare feet covered by the ends of his sweatpants like toeless socks. "And it's not like I haven't kissed anyone, yet – I have! Plenty of times. Why do you want to know about that, you perv? Those guys were right about you, you _are_ a perv."

"I can be, I admit. Come sit down by me."

"That's…that's a negative. I feel like if I do, something weird will happen," Sanji said stiffly, looking in his direction. He wasn't sure what to say or think at that moment, still a little rocked by the _thing_ that had happened earlier.

"Fair enough. Now, ask another question."

For a moment, Sanji stared at him, thinking how weird the difference was, now. They were two years older since the last time they spoke, and the gap between them was still just as immense. Law still had that intensity to his amber eyes that made Sanji uncomfortable, but now he was more easy going, relaxed, and he seemed to stroll when he used to stalk. He must have reached a point in his life that made him this way, but Sanji would never know what because they couldn't talk to each other the same, and Law was an adult, and he was still a teenager.

When he spoke, he seemed to purr, and he gave Sanji such an intense examination that Sanji felt uncomfortably vulnerable of himself. He didn't understand how things had shifted to this point, but they were strangers, now, speaking only out of past familiarity. Almost as if he were rereading a book he'd dog-eared, but understanding now that he didn't know it as well as he thought he did.

He brushed his hair out of his face, adjusted his sweats a little more, then walked over to sit near him because he wasn't about to let this man make him feel uncomfortable in his own home. He looked at him defiantly, and Law looked back at him with an amused smile, and Sanji didn't understand why his heart felt the way it did. An excited thump and a roll of uncertainty, and that shouldn't even be felt because he'd met this guy when they were kids and he shouldn't feel as if this new person in front of him was any different.

He swallowed tightly, reaching out to straighten the collar of Law's black jacket, straighten the scarf. The man continued to look at him with that same expression, but now there were teeth showing, and they were the straightest teeth Sanji had ever seen.

"Well, if we wanted out of this deal, what can we do?" he asked, voice cracking ever so slightly. "I'm doing everything I can to keep the old man out of this. He'd be so disappointed. I'm honestly afraid that Arlong might do something to him, too."

"He won't," Law assured him, crossing one ankle over one knee, relaxed and comfortable as he leaned back against the couch. He didn't like the type of music playing – the jazz tunes were way too much similar to that of an elevator, but it somehow fit Sanji's personality at the moment. He tried to ignore it. "Trust me on this one. He won't go near Zeff. It'd be…damaging. If you said anything to Zeff about it, I assure you, you won't be running for Arlong, anymore."

"But I don't know what he'd do if he found out."

"What will he do, Sanji? Spank you? Ground you to your room? You're asking for his help for a friend, what's there to fear?"

"His disappointment."

"Sanji, don't worry about it. Zeff won't be disappointed. He'd be furious."

"Is he part of this world, Law? Don't lie. We're at that point now, aren't we?"

"Yes."

Sanji waited for him to elaborate, but Law just looked at him and said nothing. He frowned, gesturing with his hand, but Law just continued to look at him. He still wore a smile – almost like Doffy did when he had nothing to say. A frozen smile that could mean anything.

"Do you have a girlfriend now?" Law asked him curiously.

"I didn't ask you to come over here so I can talk about myself like that. I asked you to come over so I can get these questions answered," Sanji told him crossly.

"You're seventeen now, right?"

"March was half a year ago, dip shit. Yes."

"My birthday's coming up."

"It's in October, I know that."

"Are you aware of astrology signs?"

"No," Sanji said, furrowing his brow.

"Our signs aren't too compatible. Neither of us will respect each other on basic grounds because we're both much too concerned with ourselves, and both of us have different temperaments that aren't fitting for each other's personality. Do you find that true?"

"We did argue a lot as kids. I still don't know why I tried so hard to be your friend, and I still don't know why I'm here talking about this weird shit with you."

"But we do have one thing in common, don't we? And I think you're old enough to know better by now, why I have been looking at you the way I do."

Sanji stared at him in blank silence, feeling that weird tension again. Then he said nothing as the man twisted over, then loomed over him. His eyes were wide and his breath caught in his throat as those intense amber eyes held him in place. He couldn't move because the man was in his space, and he didn't know what to think because when Law was this close to him, he could smell him. That spicy, musky smell that made his senses ultra aware of everything about him.

"What are you doing?" he asked, but it wasn't with a strong voice because suddenly he felt like he couldn't talk, especially when he could feel the other man's breath on his face.

"Hunting," Law said, reaching for his jaw, smiling with some predatory action, and Sanji couldn't move. He felt like a mouse trapped in a corner, and there was no way out. Once he realized what was happening, his eyes widened and he inhaled sharply, hands coming up to his shoulders to push him away, panic lighting fire in his veins.

When Law kissed him, he didn't have the soft, hesitant lips of a teenage girl – he had strong, firm lips that overtook his with just as much force as his presence did. Sanji opened his mouth with a noise of protest, and his tongue was inside, snaking over his teeth, finding his before retreating and biting lightly at his upper lip. Sanji couldn't breathe, his mouth open with the strangeness of another person's presence in there, and he couldn't move because he was struck by the strong sensation of having been kissed by a man he knew. He wanted to feel violated, but his skin felt too hot and his lips were tingling and before he knew it, Law was kissing him again, and Sanji couldn't say anything.

He shut his mouth tightly, feeling overwhelmed with the smell of the man, with the taste of him over his tongue, and he breathed shallowly, his eyes wide open, seeing that Law was watching him. Sanji pushed him away, hand to his mouth, his stunned features speaking everything at that moment. A strange noise left him, but then the man was pushing over him, and Sanji fell back because he was utterly in shock that this was happening. This was not a kiss between two teenagers that didn't know too much of what they were doing; he felt he was being forced into submission by someone he trusted. He reached up to push him away, but his fingers curled into his jacket instead, and in his mind, he screamed at himself in dismay.

Law kissed him gently, molding his lips against his, feeling how tense Sanji was, his mouth tightly shut. But his hands gripped his jacket, and he wasn't fighting him – he was just frozen. He lifted a hand, touching his jawline, tracing the new sharpness to it. Once he touched the delicate lobes of his ears, Sanji softened ever so slightly, and he was giving a tentative kiss back. It was a delicate flutter – he was still in shock that it was happening – but Law seized the moment. Moving over him, he licked his bottom lip with such slow action that Sanji opened his with a low noise. He was breathing tightly, heart racing, his mind utterly confused – he couldn't think straight, but his hormones were running out of control.

He felt Law's tongue slowly enter his mouth, and all he did was lay there, motionless, breathing with such shallow effort that he felt like he were going to pass out. The older man tasted like coffee and mint, his tongue flicking over his with teasing motion before he pulled his mouth from his, looking down at him with a slow curling smile.

"Breathe," he said simply, and Sanji wasn't aware that he'd been holding his breath. When he exhaled, he felt the rush of blood to his head, and he still couldn't speak because he could still taste Law's tongue on his. The foreign sensation was utterly shocking, and it was entirely different from a teenage girl's – there was no sloppy spit dribbling from his mouth, there wasn't the sweet smell and taste of a girl, and with Law still touching his face and neck, Sanji just couldn't think. His mind was a complete and utter blank, but his hormones were certainly taking notice of everything.

He just stared at Law with shock and slight horror because this had to be some weird dream or trip. But the weight of the man over him was real and he realized he was still clutching his jacket tightly with clenched fists.

Then he felt horror ice his veins – he'd responded to it. He'd actually kissed back, he remembered the twitch. He should've been fighting it, furious, _what the hell was this man doing to him_ , but instead he swallowed tightly and looked at his mouth again, feeling his face flush with mortifying color because he wanted more.

Reading that expression, Law leaned in again, and Sanji went with it because his blood was rushing hotly and he wanted more attention. Even so, his lips trembled and all thought went out the door, not remembering how to give back.

"Follow me," Law ordered him softly, watching Sanji's every facial expression as he pressed gentle kiss after gentle kiss on the teen's mouth, and Sanji started to respond in a tentative, uncertain manner, with near unpracticed motion. He began to relax, following his lead, then finding his own rhythm.

"Touch me," he heard the man tell him, and Sanji opened his eyes, looking at his own fingers balled up with his jacket. It was a slight struggle to uncurl his tense fingers, but when he did, he saw them shake as he reached tentatively to touch Law's face. The man just smiled at him, and it was too weird touching him in this manner when Sanji had never touched him. So his fingers just skimmed over his face with a clumsy swipe, and Law just smirked at him, demonstrating with his own touch on Sanji how he'd liked to be touched.

Sanji swallowed hard, then mimicked the movement on him. It was such a new sensation – Law's face felt so much more different from a girl's. There was no round warmth there, just rigid strength, stubble, and even his hair felt different. It wasn't soft, just slightly greasy, thick and short. Much too short. Almost the length of his from the back.

Law just grinned at him, uttering low, "Don't pet. Get your fingers in there."

"This is so weird, okay?" Sanji snapped at him, but his voice cracked and it wasn't as vicious as he wanted it to be. His face flamed and he couldn't even breathe normally because he felt overwhelmed with heat and shock. He withdrew his hand, looking up at him with slight fear when Law sat up and removed his jacket, returning to lay over him.

He lowered his head to his once more, and Sanji followed his lead, growing to enjoy the sensations before him. He'd adjust and fix whenever Law told him he was being too sloppy or he wasn't kissing hard enough, until he found his own rhythm again. As minutes passed with only the sound of Sanji's music in the background, Sanji stopped being so tense. He finally touched him with confidence, exploring the feel of his head, his neck and shoulders with inquisitive hands, and grew more confident accepting his tongue into his mouth.

When he was told to suck it, he did so tentatively, feeling his toes curl. The man demonstrated the technique, and Sanji's eagerness to please accomplished that task easily. When the man began kissing his neck, his hands on Sanji's chest and ribs, Sanji couldn't think. His mind was whirling and he wasn't fighting anymore – had he really? – and his hormones were racing out of control. He wanted more contact, more time, and he was eager to explore new regions of his own.

But the man reached between them, clasping his hands within his and pushed them up near Sanji's head as he finally lifted away from him.

"What was your other question?" he asked curiously.

Sanji stared up at him with all the gears moving in his head, but nothing emerging. He shook it, wearing a puzzled expression.

"So, that's it, then. If you think of anything else, I'll be around," Law said, pulling away from him abruptly, and Sanji just laid there in a daze, a little confused as he went to retrieve his jacket and his sword.

Once he realized Law was leaving, heat flashed through Sanji and he sat up, adjusting his sweats uncomfortably. "Wait a minute! That's it? You're just going to go?"

"It's almost midnight, fool. Your grandfather should be coming home soon."

Sanji whipped his head around to look at the clock on the wall. He was shocked that he'd lost track of time. They'd been on the couch for nearly an hour and a half. He wheezed a sound of disbelief. Then he said, "But I had more things I needed answered!"

"Like what?"

But Sanji was at a loss, and he gaped up at the older man with a horrified expression. Law leaned down and kissed him again, and Sanji automatically received it because he was now used to the action. He reached up to pull him close, but then the keys at the door jingled, and he shoved Law away and ran for his room at warp speed because he was supposed to be in bed hours ago, and he was not about to get caught by Zeff in this position.

Law chuckled with amusement, crouching to grab the stereo player remote to turn off the music. He was gone just as Zeff lifted his head and set foot into the front hallway. He looked up with a suspicious frown because _something_ didn't feel right, and he could have sworn he'd heard music playing seconds earlier. He shut and locked the door behind him, walking out into the living area, and seeing the mess Sanji had left behind. With a puzzled frown, he looked around himself. Something just didn't feel right. There was a different atmosphere to the place, and while it didn't seem threatening, he just knew something was wrong. He immediately went to Sanji's room and looked in, but the teen was wrapped up in his blankets, facing the wall, and he didn't sense anything wrong there.

With a puzzled expression, Zeff turned on his heel and went to his room with a shrug.

: :

"Is that a hickey?" Nami asked Sanji curiously, the teen reddening with such force that it was almost as he was moments from blowing up. Zoro stopped chewing, looking at him with surprise as Luffy and Ussop reacted with wide stares.

" _NO_!" Sanji exclaimed, touching his neck with self conscious action. "Where? _No_! Just – my shirt got caught up last night at practice, it's just a shirt hickey."

"Riiiight," Nami said, looking at him skeptically. "It doesn't look like a hickey, actually. More like beard burn."

"Oh, dull razor. Dull – "

"Why are you acting so weird?" Zoro asked him. "Overreacting over a shirt hickey."

" _I don't know_!"

"Are you seeing someone new? _Who_?" Nami asked curiously, leaning over to rest her chin on his shoulder. Red and sweaty, Sanji pushed away from the table and hurried off, pulling the collar of his uniform up high as he ran for the restroom.

"He's such a weirdo," she commented.

"Maybe he hooked up with some girl after practice. You know how that guy is," Zoro said, resuming eating. "Leave him alone, he does a lot for you."

"I know," she said with a guilty sigh, playing with Sanji's food. When she saw his phone flash with an incoming message, she read the message. The number was only a number with no assigned name, so she knew it was a man. But she furrowed her brow because the question, "Did you get caught, shitty brat?", followed with snickering emojis, could mean a lot of things.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I guess it's kind of obvious by now everyone's a little cracktastic! in this fic. I am amused at the idea of Doffy and Cora being cooperative brothers – definitely a far difference from the way I'd written them in my other fics.**

 **Naghi-Tan: :D**

 **SibrianRS: I assure you, there will be more of that later on ;D**

 **Alasse-M: I have laughed at all your reviews! They are amazing! You made me reread my own story hahaha! But about the thing you hate, Zeff will explain himself soon…ish. Soonish. Overall, there will be more of this weird kinky thing happening as each chapter passes.**

 **Guest#1: Thank you for reading and commenting! Zoro and Sanji's friendship will be in more detail as the tale progresses, and that perv continues to perv – just later.**

 **Showihd1: I hope that this chapter answers a few of your questions, regarding Bepo, and Sanji being watched – with each passing age, the guys will be showing off different personalities pertaining to the situation, and I have fun writing every one until they get to the age everyone knows. They are a little off for now, aren't they? LOL And their interactions will get a little grander each and every time…thanks for commenting!**

 **Guest#2: Thank you for showing up! Law's getting obvious but at the same time, he's still playing around with the situation – there's still more story to write. Zeff's business is starting to show up a little bit here and there – read on to find out more! :D**

 **Thanks for all your comments and thoughts, errbody! As crackish as this fic has been so far, I've been getting a kick out of writing it.**

 **Chapter Five:**

 **Go Ask Alice**

The next morning, Law stared off into space, drumming his fingers against his cheek as he thought about what he did last night. Admittedly, it hadn't even been his intention to attack the teen as he did. He'd only gone over to intimidate and put the brat in his place because of the attitude, but then things went from him lecturing to suddenly noticing that he was everything Shachi and Penguin accused him of. A sick, twisted closet pervert.

But he couldn't resist – sometimes the way Sanji looked up at him was just too much. That wide eyed, persistent youth had changed into a sullen, bratty whelp that openly defied his whims and challenged his restraint. Plus, all that thinking he had when he was away, the memory of his own odd reaction to the teen when he was just an optimistic priss, just twisted into something different and strange, and reading BL manga on his phone hadn't helped at all. He'd only read it because he somehow found himself from revisiting Super Pike Bike Man on a blogging site, and found doujinishi with him and his sometimes sidekick, Tricycle Boy. It had led to some interesting moments. As a curious man, he had to do some serious investigating to find out what it meant to him, and he found himself acting out on his own interest.

The coffee shop was full, today, and he was resting his delicate hands after swiping too many credit cards and intimidating customers into not using their damn gift cards because sometimes Shachi forgot how to load them and despite the presence of a receipt, he hated repeating himself in that phone numbers wouldn't pay for the purchase.

"Hey, Penguin," he said, rubbing his goatee. He wasn't wearing any hats, today, his hair mussed and rumpled, but he was wearing a pair of black framed glasses and most of the women in line were staring obviously at him with hungry expressions. "Have you ever been in a situation where you specifically wanted something just to try it out and see if it's for you, and ended up liking it?"

"Senpai, just try weed like the rest of us and leave it at that. Don't do any weird shit," Penguin complained. He was wearing his favorite winter hat, his overalls zipped up tight but the sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. He had a couple of buttons pinned to his chest with Halloween slogans on them. "I swear, if me and Shachi turn around and see you huffing gas or eating a hamburger, or dying your hair pastel pink, I'm going to leave your bitch ass."

Law thought about it a few moments more, then looked at him. "What's wrong with pastel pink?"

" _Don't even_. I can't with you, right now. Can you please take over the register? We're swamped!"

"I'm on break."

"You're _always_ on break!" Shachi yelled at him, holding two travel cups, and balancing another atop of his head.

With a heavy sigh, Law turned back to the register and scowled at the man standing there with his credit card out. He completed the purchase, then leaned over the machine to look at the next customer, a teen that looked familiar.

"What the hell are you doing here, kid?" he asked him. "There's a sign at the door that explicitly says, 'No Kids Allowed'."

"Shut up and get me some bubble tea, you ass. Plus, I was told to send you this," the kid said, tossing him an invitation.

Law threw it in the trash, and motioned for him to scram. The teen growled, then leaned over and bit into the napkin dispenser, and tossed it with his head. Then he stomped off, and Pengiun and Shachi leaned over him to ask at the same time, "Is that boy wearing girl's shoes?"

Law retrieved the invitation, much to the annoyance of the next customer in line, who impatiently gave his order without waiting for Law to acknowledge him. Law held up a finger, stopping him in mid-order. The invitation was to dinner with Doffy and Cora at a nearby restaurant. It was decorated with balloon stickers and firetrucks, and Cora had even added smiley faces and happy doodles around the border. There was a burn mark at the very top where he'd even dropped his cigarette on it.

"Should I go?" he asked Shachi, who was distributing his drinks out. He held the invitation open so Shachi could read it, much to the impatience of the man that was still waiting to give his order.

"Just _go_ , or they'll come to you," Shachi said, adjusting his hat – he was wearing a visor upside down, so his red hair was pulled from his face but gathered up within the rim and gave him a different look. He'd pinned on the shop's logo to the front band of the visor.

"I don't know how these two are in charge the way they are," Law complained, ripping the invitation into tiny shreds while the man stared daggers at him. "This better be about business, and not family."

"Can you take my order, please?" the customer growled, snapping his fingers near his face.

Law lifted a hand, and in his place stood an old woman from outside, who blinked in a puzzled manner. Penguin swore it was the same old woman that he'd done that to when Sanji was visiting them earlier.

"Just go, get it over with. Stop being such a wimp when it comes to your parents," Shachi said impatiently, hand on his hip.

"Why am I asking you? You're just a ginger. You know nothing."

"I will burn your eyes out with the power of my hate-fire!"

"Can you two please stop? I'm so swamped, here!" Penguin begged, almost crying at the coffee dispenser.

Law leaned over the register once more, looking at the old lady that caused everyone to glare at her. "How did I even get into this profession? It's so below me. I thought for sure I'd have a more successful future as a doctor, or a surgeon."

"Get _out_ of here!" Shachi then cried, kicking him away from the register. "Ma'am, _please_ , give me your order, I'm so sorry for his behavior. He ate too much glue as a child. He's not right in the head."

"Where'd you go last night, anyway?" Penguin asked curiously. "We were all down for a game of Monopoly when Bepo told us you'd left."

"Back to my previous question. What if you'd tried something and ended up liking it?"

"It's only fun until someone catches you doing it," Penguin warned him. "Why?"

"Good advice."

"Don't tell him that!" Shachi growled at Penguin. "He's probably out doing something sick and perverted! Haven't you learned, by now? If it has nothing to do with the syndicates or the White Rabbit, then he's doing something we don't need to know about."

"Oh, yeah, true."

"Too late. A trusted friend has given me advice that I must follow so I don't break his heart. But in the meantime, you two need to stop slacking off. That line is now right outside the door, and it's not even 9 a.m., yet."

Penguin mock-wept over his completed order, handing it to the woman that gave him an upset frown. "I'm a 'trusted friend'! Finally! After all these years of abuse, I finally get some acknowledgement!"

: :

That evening, Sanji stared at his phone, waiting for another text. Waiting for _something_. He sat in his room, still wearing his practice clothes, and he had a pile of homework he needed to finish, but all he truly thought about was last night. He wasn't able to sort through his feelings regarding what had happened. All that roiled through his mid section was the uneasy sensation of doing something wrong and enjoying it. He _did_ enjoy it. Immensely. Maybe a little too much. But he felt wrong doing it because he'd never put thought to putting his lips on another man, especially one he'd known for most of his life.

His face burned, and he ran his fingers through his sweat matted hair. Why would the man do that to him? And _had_ they been looking at each other in such a way that he invited the contact? He didn't recall ever looking at the man as Law had looked at him – maybe he'd mistaken all his admiration and all the times Sanji had compared himself to him as something else. He'd never looked at the man and thought of wanting to kiss him.

How could Law have done this to him? They were both into women!

…Weren't they?

He looked at his phone again. He wanted to text him, but he was afraid of the outcome. What if Law just teased him? Mocked him? Called him a 'homo'?

Furiously, he sent a text with just that word to him, and threw the phone onto his dirty laundry. It just wasn't fair. It wasn't right. How could Law have done this to him with no explanation or warning? How could his own body betray him by enjoying it? Even now he shivered, hugging himself, because he could still remember the way Law tasted, and the way his tongue played with his, and the smell of him, and he hated that he was getting hard over it. He hunched over it, remembering he'd had the same reaction when the man just touched him that one time in the coffee shop.

He heard his cell go off, and he refused to rush to it. But once he got ahold of himself, he waddled over and snatched it up, looking at the text that had come in.

It was Nami, and she wanted to know if she could come over.

It was an unusual request, so he immediately gave the invite, looking at the clock. He'd have some time before Zeff came home, and he was sure it wasn't a big deal, anyway. Nami must be in need of some help if she was willing to break the rules Zeff had for him, knowing that he wasn't supposed to have girls over without an adult present.

But he didn't think too much of it. He returned to his bed and sat at the edge, chewing his nail. He checked his phone to make sure Law hadn't text him back, but the message he'd sent hadn't been read, yet. He stood up and began pacing the floor, running his hands through his matted hair once more. He then sniffed himself, wincing, and hurried to go take a shower before Nami came over.

Half an hour later, he opened the door to her, and she walked in without her usual confidence and cheer.

"What's wrong?" he asked, locking the door behind her and following her to the living room.

"Sanji, I… I'd been thinking. You guys – well, when you volunteered to help me out, I…I knew there was nothing I could repay you with," she said slowly, fiddling with her hair, with her dress. It was her favorite blue one, and Sanji admired the low cut of it before he remembered she didn't like being oogled. She was blushing as she looked around herself, examining his place with a curious eye. "It's always so nice in here! You'd never know two guys lived here!"

"We stay atop of it," he said. "Would you like anything to drink? What are you doing out so late, anyway?"

"Water, please. And, uh, when does Zeff come home?"

"Around midnight. Sometimes later. And it's no problem, Nami, you know I have no problem helping you out when you need it," Sanji said, hurrying to the fridge for a bottle of water. "It must be something urgent."

"Well, um…I was sort of curious who left that mark on you," Nami admitted, watching him turn bright red again, looking away from her. "I know that's not a shirt hickey, or a gi hickey, or whatever it is you and Zoro call those robe things that you wear for something or other practice. It's obviously a _hickey_. And you don't even want to talk about it, which makes me even more curious, so…I was just hoping that we'd get things out in the open between us. I'd hate for there to be any secrets."

"It's…nothing I'd like to talk about. Really, you know how I am, I'd tell you anything, but this is something I don't want to talk about," Sanji said with immense embarrassment, rubbing a hand over the very faint mark just below his right ear. "It doesn't mean anything. I like girls a lot, so it's not like I'd deviate from that."

Nami looked at him curiously as he turned away from her, hearing his phone vibrate with a text. Then he ran for it, which only made her more perplexed. Especially when he snarled, "No, _you're_ the homo!", texted rapidly, and threw the phone across the room with much dramatics. When he remembered that she was there, he hurried back over with hands he wiped hastily on his pants.

"Okay."

"Nami, what do you know about the syndicates in the area?" Sanji then asked her, feeling like his face and neck were going to explode.

"Just about Arlong's, really. I know he makes a shitty stash. I know he's conspiring against some of the groups around us. He's really focused on targeting one of them, but I don't know who it is. This guy runs a pretty big base, and Arlong only refers to him as one of the 'Top Rungs'. He says the guy is set to retire soon, but he wants to 'retire' him early. But he knows if he does, he's going to receive a huge back lash from others. Why are you so curious about it, now?"

"Shouldn't we know anything about our employer?" Sanji asked, motioning for her to sit. She took a seat on one of the easy chairs, and he sat on the couch, hearing his phone go off again. But he ignored it. "Also, I spoke to a friend last night, and he told me that Zeff is involved in this whole thing. That the reason why we moved a long time ago was…well, he didn't say why. He never did give me the entirety of it. But Zeff's involved. I don't know if I can believe that."

"There's no way your grandpa is!" Nami exclaimed with horror. "He's just a successful chef of a great restuanrat! If he really is involved, do you think he knows that you're running for Arlong?"

"I don't know…I can't even bring it up to ask. I don't know how to talk about it with him. I was reassured that I wouldn't get into trouble, but it's not something that you come out and ask your grandfather about. I just wish that if he was, he'd talk to me, first. If he is, and he kept it from me, _why_? I mean, eventually, it'll come out, so why not just get it out of the way?"

"I don't know, Sanji. Maybe he just felt he was protecting you. But it's definitely time to ask, now that you know. I bet he knows about you, already. Has anything been different between the two of you?"

"We sort of drew apart…I feel like he's never home, and I feel like I shouldn't have to follow rules he sets if he's not here. Sometimes I feel like a prisoner."

"All of us do. We're teenagers. Our parents are doing the very best they can looking out for us," Nami assured him. "That's why we sneak around the way that we do."

"And get into situations like this one?"

She gave a limp shrug. "It's pretty weird, huh, the way things turned out the way they did when we reached a certain age. Everything was daisies and roses until we started opening our eyes and seeing the world differently. Suddenly realizing that it wasn't what we thought it was has been the harshest slap I'd ever received."

"We'll be fine, Nami! We'll get out of this mess – I'm sure Arlong will let us go, soon, and you don't have to worry about it, anymore," Sanji assured her. "Look, if you want, I can ask for help. I can talk to Zeff. I also have my friend, who's familiar with this world, and he can help."

"The guy from the coffee shop? He's really cute, you know," Nami said, looking delighted. "I like older men! Please introduce us!"

"Never. Not in a million years. In fact, ignore that suggestion. I'll talk to Zeff, instead," Sanji said with a huff, rising from the couch. "I'd rather you stay away from that vicious predator, enemy of women – he's a despicable person that will do everything in his power to make you lower than his shoe size."

"He wears pretty big shoes!"

"I'll walk you home, it's getting late."

"It's okay, I can call for an Uber. But that's not the reason why I came over, today," she said slowly, looking away from him. "Um, I just…there's no words that can express just how much I appreciate all of you for helping me out. You've done so much for me. And I've done nothing for you. When I came to you with this problem, you jumped to help me."

"its' really not that big of a deal, of course I would help you! I've loved you for forever!"

" _Friends_ , forever! Anyway, so, I was thinking…and don't take it the wrong way, but…maybe…maybe I can stay the night? With you?" she asked, turning a brilliant shade of red.

Sanji looked at her with a frown, tilting his head to look at her. "Why? Is somebody bothering you at home? I'll kick their ass!"

" _No_ , stupid! You - ! Don't make me say it again!" she exclaimed, slapping his arm. "I'm embarrassed enough as it is!"

"Well, if you'd like, you can sleep in my bed and I can take the couch. I'm sure Zeff wouldn't mind once he finds out why you're here," Sanji said, looking for his phone. Nami stared after him with a perplexed expression, then looked up at the ceiling for help. "I'll text him and let him know you're spending the night, and I can talk to him about this whole Arlong thing when he comes back. I'm sure it'll be fine."

"Oh, you're such a clueless moron," she muttered, blushing. "Sanji, stupid, I'm saying – let's sleep together."

" _Eh_? What? huh? Sleep - ? eh? You? Nami - !"

"You're making this even worse!" she snapped at him. "I thought about it, and I think it's a good idea! We've been friends for forever, and we have this 'thing' where I lead you on and you do whatever I want! Well, I want this! Let's make this happen!"

Sanji stared at her in silence, his eyes wide and his mouth dropping open. His brain malfunctioned. He couldn't form a coherent sentence. All the plans he had in wanting his first time to be magical went flying out the door. Just as Penguin had said it would. For Nami to just come up to him and tell him that this was what she wanted – well, of course he'd jump at the chance. It was something he'd wanted for a long time, as well! All thoughts and consequences and current events just went right out the door of his common sense.

" _Really_?" he squeaked, turning red. "Now? Tonight?"

" _Tonight_! Let's go! Before Bellemere blows up my phone and Zeff surprises you by coming home early! I put a lot of thought to this, and this is something I want to do – with…with you. _With you_. Yes. _Yes_ , with _you_ ," she said on a sigh, turning and making her way to his room. When he wasn't right behind her, she yelled, "Hurry up before I change my mind!"

For a few moments, Sanji just stood there. Then he looked at himself, glad he'd taken a shower. Then he chewed on his nail, and finally looked at his phone.

'You're the homo for making me a homo for you,' Law had replied.

'You're the sick bastard who always thought of me as a girl!' Sanji then sent him the middle finger emoji, and stood stock still once more. He didn't think he could do it with Nami at this point. Not after what he'd done with this man the night previously. But maybe that had been a good thing – maybe instead of it being a confusing, humiliating experience, it had been a prep for this thing with Nami. He could amaze her with the kissing lessons he'd learned last night, and maybe he could use some of that confidence that Law had with him on Nami, and take over the entire situation – maybe if he did a good enough job, she'd want to stay with him and he wouldn't have to worry about this confusing thing with Law.

Nami stepped out from his room and stared at him menacingly. "Are we doing this, or not? Because if not, I'm going to think that you fawning all over me was just a show."

'Is Zeff home with you?' Law then texted him, and Sanji felt his hair sizzle –with both dread and anticipation. He felt more anxiety in that single text than he did looking at Nami, who was waiting for him to respond to her.

"Yes!" Sanji answered, both aloud and in text. Even as his voice shook and he felt scared because maybe he wasn't ready after all. Maybe he still wanted his first time to be slow and steady and everything he imagined, and not rushed for curfew. He bit his lip and wondered if he could back out while still retaining his dignity. On one hand, if he didn't, Nami would be offended, and think that she wasn't as desirable as he thought her to be. She'd be humiliated that she put her proud self out on a branch like this one and didn't have him catch like he should have. On the _other_ hand, maybe this wasn't being done for the right reasons. Zeff had told him he should find someone who appreciated him more, and he _was_ kissing on a man last night, so…

It was _that_ factor that made him determined to do this. He was going to prove those assholes wrong. His first time will be with someone he cared about, someone he'd desired from the start, and they were going to have an amazing time together because they were friends forever and he was confident with his new kissing abilities.

'That's too bad.'

Sanji waited for him to continue because those three waiting dots were flashing, and as he slowly made his way to his room, they continued to flash.

They continued to flash all damn night.

: :

The next day, both Nami and Sanji sat in rigid silence together at the lunch table, and Zoro looked at them with puzzled action from across them. The cafeteria was loud and disorderly, and there was a slight snowstorm going on that kept everyone inside, not wanting to brave the slushy cold, so the room was filled with capacity. They even had to share a table with some kids they'd never talked to, before, and it was way too loud for anybody to hear anything, so everyone around them were shouting and having a grand time – except for this table alone.

"What's going on with you two?" he asked, Luffy and Ussop looking up from their 3DS's to stare, Pokemon theme music playing loudly from both consoles. "You're both really quiet. Like, all day. It's been weird."

"No reason," Nami said quietly, fiddling with her fingernail polish. "We were just talking about some things, and we got a little mad at each other."

"I'm not mad," Sanji said with a puzzled face, but she hit him to remind him that he was to say nothing of the situation.

"Are we almost done with this Arlong thing?" Zoro asked her curiously. "Because I'm tired of all these people coming up to us asking about if we're carrying. We're almost out, by the way, but some of the usuals haven't been coming back. Hey, Sanji, you need to tell Kuro they're not buying like they used to."

"I will," Sanji said just as quietly, staring at his untouched lunch.

Zoro waited for more from either of them, but they were studiously avoiding looking at each other, and Nami wasn't talking a mile a minute in her usual teasing way, and Sanji hadn't had much to add to anybody's words.

But he shrugged and let it go, finishing his lunch while Luffy reached for Sanji's and ate his, too. Sanji looked over at Nami, and Nami looked at him, then both of them reddened and looked away hastily.

It had been one of the most awkward experiences in Sanji's life – he'd been too excited at first, Nami complained that he kissed her 'too hard' and she, in her nervousness, talked non-stop about how he was _supposed_ to kiss her, and neither of them were sure how the condom rolled on, and by the time they figured it out, he wasn't ready to do it, and so when it _finally_ happened, she cried because it hurt and he didn't want to do it anymore. Zeff had come home at that point so he ended up hiding her in the closet until he went to bed, and sneaking her out had been a huge ordeal because Bellemere was calling her frantically – when he'd _finally_ returned to the condo, Zeff had been waiting for him with a pissed off expression because he'd heard him sneaking around earlier.

It pretty much blew up after that.

He had been grounded for the rest of the school year, his electronics confiscated for however long Zeff was going to hold them, and he couldn't attend practice, anymore. He had to head to the restaurant right after work and stay there until Zeff closed up.

 _It was the worst experience he ever had in his life_.

Nami didn't know that Zeff had found out because Sanji was too embarrassed to tell her. He hoped to God that Zeff wouldn't call Bellemere to rat them out. He'd had only been slightly appeased when Sanji confessed to using a condom.

He stared down at the ring on his finger, and realized it had to come off. The print on the inside was a total lie, at the moment, and all he could think of at that moment was Law telling him to wait. His stomach roiled with mortification because he still couldn't believe that he'd frozen at the moment he'd been needed the most, and he was embarrassed that his body had reacted the way it did, and he was humiliated because what should've been one of the most greatest experiences in his life was just a crushing memory.

During P.E., Nami sat next to him as they waited their turns for a physical fitness test the substitute was putting on, everyone restless as they watched their classmates compete without interest against each other.

"I'm sorry things are weird," she said to him, keeping her voice quiet. "But we're still friends, right?"

He brightened, looking at her with a relieved expression in that she would speak to him. He'd been worried all day that she thought of him as incapable after what had happened last night. He was a man, now, a full fledged member of the man club, and he was just waiting for her to accept it.

"Of course! Nami, um, I'm sure if we had the chance to do it again, it won't be so – so awkward. I can do better with practice – "

"I'm sorry, but I don't know if I'm ready for next time," she said, blushing. "I just…I thought it'd make me feel differently, but…I think we rushed things. _I_ rushed things. I thought I wanted to do this, but when I realize what sort of position I put you in, I feel really bad."

"I don't! I thought it was great that you trusted me!"

"You wouldn't, of course, you're a boy. You're just glad you had a taste," she muttered, pulling her knees to her chest.

"It was special to me, too, Nami. You know how I feel about you," Sanji said, reaching out to brush hair from her face. "I've had feelings for you since we were kids!"

"That's what makes it so weird! We're like siblings! We committed _incest_ ," she said in a hasty, embarrassed whisper, making sure no one was looking in their direction, listening to them. "I just thought it'd be an…appropriate thing after what you've done for me."

Horrified, Sanji looked away from her. His face, ears and neck turned red. the ring on his finger seemed to burn, and his brain did, too. He watched their classmates lunge their way across the basketball court with complains and whines against the time.

"So, you basically prostituted yourself," he said numbly. "Like, you didn't care what I felt at all."

"I do. Just…not to the extent that I thought. Like, I'm glad I lost it to you, but…I wish I didn't. Because it's weird, now, and I feel like I can't look you in the face."

"I didn't think of it like that, Nami. I know it went bad, but there's always another time. Maybe I can walk you home after school, and we can stop for ice cream, or whatever, and - !"

"It doesn't make us a couple. I just want to be friends."

"We can still be friends," Sanji said woodenly. "I still like you. A lot. One day you'll see how much."

"You're a moron. Don't make this weirder than it already is," Nami said with a sigh, rising up and walking away from him. He watched her go, fiddling with the ring on his finger.

After school, he went home, changed out of his school clothes, and caught an Uber to the restaurant. Zeff put him to work in the kitchen with washing dishes, preparing for evening rush, and finally sent him out to the floor for some light table work. On their way home, Sanji was silent with humility, finding nothing came to tongue as Zeff's stiff silence kept both of them from saying anything to each other. A few times, it looked like Zeff was going to say something, but he'd just clutch the steering wheel and glare out the windshield with a frustrated look to his face.

The next day was a repeat, but this time, Nami didn't come to school. She texted Zoro in that she didn't feel well, and when Zoro asked Sanji were his phone was, Sanji confessed that he'd been grounded from it. When Zoro asked why, Sanji mumbled that he'd been caught walking with Nami after curfew.

"Is that all?" Zoro scoffed. "That's stupid. I was wondering why neither of you guys were acting right with each other. What's so awful about that?"

"I broke a rule. So I'll be working with Zeff after school. He's such a hardass. He should be lucky I'm not doing drugs, or getting ladies pregnant or stealing – I could be all of that, and he's mad for some stupid reason," Sanji muttered, sulking.

Zoro laughed at him. "Well, get it over with. At least you don't have to do this shit, right?"

"I'd rather be with you guys than being stuck at the shitty restaurant. This is so unfair. Did Nami say anything else? Did she say she wanted to talk to me, or anything?" Sanji asked hopefully.

"No. You know how she is. Only concerned with herself. I bet she's not even sick."

"Well, tell her I miss her. And…and I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?"

"She'll understand."

"What is she blaming you for, this time?" Zoro asked with an impatient eye roll.

"Nothing. Just tell her that, okay? I'm going this way," Sanji then said, pointing off to the right, the path splitting.

"Fine. Later."

Zoro then shook his green head. The dramatics of his friends were often troublesome, but even more so when he was caught in the middle. He texted Nami so he wouldn't forget it later, then continued on home.

Sanji grumbled as he walked home alone. He felt angry at Zeff for treating him this way, like he was a little kid. He wanted to yell at him for thinking Zeff had control over him when he was never around anyway, and, besides, Zeff had always given him so much freedom. It wasn't as if he and Nami did anything bad – it was common for two teenagers to come together and – he used a condom, it wasn't like she was going to get pregnant! What was the big deal, anyway?

At the stoplight, he scowled at the street, shifting his messenger bag around. When he crossed the street, he found his cigarettes, but not his lighter. He began shifting things around, pausing in mid-step to search for his lighter, but when the sleek, black towncar pulled up next to him, he abandoned the effort.

"Break yourself, fool," Doflamingo said, pointing a loaded burrito in his direction. "What's that in your mouth? Is this the first sign of rebellion?"

"Why are you threatening me with a burrito?" Sanji asked him, trying not to laugh because the big, bad syndicate head had refried beans stuck to his bottom lip and a hot sauce stain on the collar of his shirt. From the top of the car, Corazon pushed himself up and through the sunroof to wave cheerfully at him. He even leaned over to pass his own lit cigarette to Sanji, to which he used to light his own, and pass it back.

His mood was instantly lifted because the Donquixote brothers were always a gas in his book.

"I haven't seen you guys in forever!" he exclaimed, leaning against the car.

"I almost didn't recognize you with the haircut. We were creeping through the neighborhood, about ready to kill some fools when Cora pointed you out," Doffy said, eating again. When Sanji peeked into the car, he did note that they had guns all over the back seat, and a minion looking at him with a puzzled expression, clearly in disbelief that his boss was speaking so freely to Sanji, a harmless teenager in a school uniform underneath his open winter jacket.

Sanji didn't take his words seriously – he _couldn't_. All his life, this man had been either late for a taco truck, vacationing with goofy swim trunks, or saying some idiotic matter that was completely unfitting for the rather ominous appearance he gave off. Plus, with Corazon the way he was, there was just no way either brother could be taken with any serious salt. They were both just crazy uncle Doffy and unstable daddy Cora.

"Are you planning on missing?" Sanji asked him skeptically.

Doflamingo nearly choked on his burrito as Corazon laughed from the sunroof. "How's your grandfather, Sanji?" he asked cheerfully, his makeup as garish as ever. "We read the reviews, and it seems like business is usual at the restaurant. We really wanted to drop on by to visit, but we were caught up in other business. It looks like you're doing well! You look like a blossoming young man!"

"I'm actually headed to work there, now," Sanji answered in the same tone, unable to resist smiling back at the clownish man, beaming at his compliment. "I got into trouble recently, so now I have to work every day after school. Even the weekends. I have no free time, anymore."

"What could you have done that was so bad?" Doffy asked curiously, dumping hot sauce onto his burrito. "Used up all the hairspray? Sent dick pics? I heard that's what kids are doing, nowadays. Corazon has to filter out all my DM's with all these hungry teenage girls sending me boob pics. This generation lacks class, I tell you."

Sanji had to laugh again because he could not get that image out of his head. "No, I ignored curfew to walk a girlfriend home."

" _Is that all_?" he asked incredulously, gesturing for his soda. The minion carefully held out the sweating cup, taking the burrito in turn. "At your age – how old are you?"

"Seventeen."

"At your age, Corazon was crying in the bathroom because Law stole off with a bus for a joyride through the college campus while dating some college floozy with two kids. Broke his fragile little heart when he went and broke him out of jail. And you get _grounded_ for walking some girl home? Your grandfather's an animal."

"I was scarred for life!" Corazon moped, looking close to tears as he revisited the memory. Sanji couldn't imagine that scene happening, but at the same time he could. He had to ask Law about it.

"I was all for spanking that little shit from the moment he came into our lives, but you wanted the Let's Talk It Out Method, and which one did we go with? Now we live with regrets."

"You never contributed! I raised him!"

"And look where we are," Doflamingo scolded him. "Anyway, kid, don't worry about it. You're not worse off than most kids around here. Maybe putting you to work is the best thing he can do. At your age, it's best to keep you occupied. Otherwise, you'll be doing all the bad things Law's done, and look where he is, now. Working some stupid counter at a stupid coffee place and going no where in life at two thirty-five an hour. You want that sort of life? You follow in his footsteps. You want something like the life your granddad has? You follow his rules."

"Zeff knows what's best for you," Corazon said with a shrug.

"Besides, if you do anything stupid, we'll just roll up and kill you like the rest of these punks we've dropped around here, and we might miss and need another gun. I usually only have one hand, I can't be reaching and dropping my phone or food to do that."

"Yes sir," Sanji said with amusement. "And maybe if you spoke like this to Law, he wouldn't be where he was, now."

Doflamingo scoffed, looking at his phone. "That kid was doomed to fail from the start. He's the result of Cora's bad parenting and weak discipline method."

"Sanji, do you need a ride to your home?" Corazon asked, ignoring his brother. "It's not a safe place for you kids to be walking at this time of day. Not with all those sellers out and about."

Sanji dropped the last of his cigarette to the sidewalk, scraped it with the heel of his shoes. "No. I always walk this way, there's no trouble."

Both of them stared at him with expectant expressions, and Sanji looked at them uncomfortably. He couldn't tell what either were thinking or waiting for, and he shifted his bag with a nervous air. Then he thought of his information being out there as one of Arlong's sellers, and he debated on saying anything.

He hadn't even said anything to Zeff, about it, and why would he draw in a pair of men into his business that ran their own syndicate? It would only complicate things.

"You know of the White Rabbit, kid?" Doflamingo asked him curiously.

"I do. Sometimes the guys fighting around here use it. Only once did I have to fight against it."

"How'd you do?"

Reluctantly, Sanji muttered, "Law stepped in to help."

"Did he say anything about it?"

"Something about it being a new strain."

"From where?"

"I don't know. The kid came from the south end of the city, so I'm assuming from there."

Doflamingo then gave a jerk, dropping his phone. " _Damn_. Cora! We invited him to dinner last night! Where were we?"

Corazon gasped. "We were getting ice cream from that place in the east end! I totally forgot! I spent so much time on that invitation, too!"

"Damn, we won't make it if we leave from here at this time," Doflamingo cursed, looking at his watch. Sanji tried not to laugh, biting his lips. "Driver! Change your Tom-Tom to take us to this restaurant! We're late!"

"It's not going to matter," Sanji said, stepping away from the car. "You're a _day_ late! Invite him another time!"

"Well, we'll still show up anyway, just in case. That rotten brat will show up later and accuse us of lying to him again, but I'm on top of it, today. Cora, get in and put on your seatbelt. I will not have you flying out the window at a stoplight, again. You know Gladius can't bear to stop at red lights."

"Hurry on home, kid! If you happen to see Law before us, tell him we're making our way over there!" Corazon said, slipping back into the car as it jerked away from the curb, narrowly avoiding collision with a bus.

Sanji waved, but he laughed again, wishing he had his phone. As he walked home, he wondered what life would have been like growing up with them rather than the stern, unforgiving jerk that he was stuck with. It seemed like he would've had a lot more fun.

: :

Law pushed at his cellphone, scowling at the screen. None of the messages he sent to Sanji were opened, and when he'd been tempted to call, he forced himself to talk to customers instead. He couldn't afford to make another mistake with Sanji, again. The other night had been too abrupt, too unexpected, and he didn't like feeling the way he did. People should be waiting on him – not the other way around. Especially when they were bratty seventeen year olds with an attitude problem.

"Shachi," he said, snapping his fingers. "When was that dinner, again?"

"Last night."

" _Damn_." Law looked at his phone. "If I leave in three hours, I'll have to send them a threatening message for wasting my time in making an effort."

"Why have you been staring at your phone all day?" Shachi asked impatiently. "It's really weird. But I'm ready to roll out if we have to."

"Hey, guys, quick question," Penguin interrupted, sliding to a stop with a broom in hand. "I know we've been working here for awhile, but who owns this place? Like, who's the owner?"

Law gave him an impatient look. "I am."

Penguin and Shachi laughed uproariously.

"Seriously. I bought the business from this guy that intended on selling to a multi-brand chain, but I convinced him selling to me was the _safest_ choice. I used Corazon's last name and a fake background to get it started. For some reason, he thought I was intimidating him, so he sold to me under half the asking price."

"You _liar_."

"There's no way you're so business savvy, and you treat us like shit!"

"I demand a raise for all the shit I've been doing!"

"You don't even give any benefits? I have had a toothache for months, and you _knew_ this!"

"Ah, a customer," Law said, turning away from both men that were threatening him with a coffee pot and an upraised broom, the front door jingling. Then he scowled because it _wasn't_ Sanji, and he looked at his phone once more, wondering why the brat wasn't responding to him. He then looked over at the bear that was sitting in the corner of the shop, watching Youtube videos on his laptop. "Bepo. I need you for a very important task."

"Why him?" Both men asked with irritation.

"Bepo is my best undercover agent."

"He's a freaking _bear_!"

"He _walks_ on his hind legs!"

" _How is he your best undercover agent when no one has seen our faces_?" they screamed, the customer reacting with a startled stare at all of them.

"I need you to find Sanji and ask him why he hasn't been texting me back," Law told Bepo, who nodded solemnly, paw over his right heart.

"So that's what this is about?" Shachi cried.

"You're stalking that kid?"

" _What is the matter with you_?" they both shouted.

"Arlong has been plotting on removing Zeff from one of the top rungs, and I'm wondering if the kid is safe. The rule that stands is that family members who aren't participants in active syndicates aren't to be touched, but if Arlong is threatening Bellemere's kid just to have her work for him, then he shouldn't be trusted in not using Zeff's grandson against him."

"Oh," Penguin and Shachi said, relaxing. Shachi turned away to take the customer's order.

Penguin said, "I thought you were just being a pervert. I didn't know you were looking in on this as a safety concern."

"It's not for Zeff, it's just that I now have some interest in the matter."

"What sort of 'interest'?" Penguin asked, leaning over the counter to grab Bepo by the back of his overalls, making the bear pause in mid-step.

"I want to know why Zeff hasn't told him about his participation. If he intends on retiring without thinking that Sanji wouldn't find out why he brought him here to the states in the first place, then he's obviously senile."

"Bepo, take this," Penguin said, handing him a travel cup. "It's cold outside."

"He's a polar bear."

"So?"

"Bears are allergic to coffee."

"I'm allergic to _you_!"

"Bepo, that's five dollars, by the way."

"You are the _worst_ boss _ever_!"

: :

That night, Sanji waited on tables and pleasantly made his rounds in the restaurant. The short visit with the brothers had left him feeling upbeat and cheerful because now he was left wondering about the person Law had been as a male his age – obviously up to no good, if he were stealing buses and dating college women with kids while still in high school. It made him want to laugh aloud because he could see him doing that, and at the same time, he was feeling curious because what could have happened if zeff hadn't moved him away, and they actually grew up with each other?

As kids, had they balanced each other out? Or would one's pull be greater than the other?

He didn't have any answers for that because they'd only been kids, then. And at that time, the only reason why they got along was because Law wanted snacks and a kid to push his opinions on, and Sanji wanted his friendship because he was an older boy with access to a tv and an exciting lifestyle completely different from his.

He served alcohol to a couple arguing over their steaks and then went on to take the order of a group of older men with serious expressions and a demand for the most extravagant wine.

Once in the kitchen, he relayed the order to the cooks – all of them former felons, thugs in training, and a bad attitude. They cursed, kicked and screamed at each other – and him – but produced some of the best food in the area. He stood to argue with Carne over a plate, knowing that it wasn't the right shade of red, and Zeff walked in at that time with a furious expression leveled in his direction.

" _Come here_ ," he snapped at Sanji, everyone in the room falling silent. The grill sizzled, the flames ate, meat popped – but all of them looked at Sanji with such interest and Zeff looked so angry that Sanji wondered what he did wrong.

He left Carne's side and walked over, Zeff jerking open his office door and kicking him inside. Such treatment wasn't new, Zeff liked talking with his feet, but when Sanji grumbled and caught himself, he saw that Zeff was holding his cellphone.

"Who is this number?" he asked, showing Sanji the lock screen. All his message notifications were up, and anybody could read a message that popped up, but when he saw Law's message, he cringed.

He looked at Zeff with a wince. "That's, uh…that's Law."

"Why is he asking you if 'that old man', referring to me, I'm not stupid, 'knows that you're a homo'?" Zeff asked him. "I get that you kids toss slurs at each other so carelessly nowadays, and I know you yourself have launched insults towards others, but the most important thing of this situation is this – _why does this boy have your number_?"

"That's all? You're just pissed because he's texting me?"

"I am! And he's texted you all throughout this day and the last, and I finally needed to ask who this person was, because I doubt Zoro would have spoken this way to you. I don't like the fact that this _older_ man is taking up a friendship with a _boy_ still in high school, considering his reputation! He's a bad influence, and I never liked that you were friends with him. Not with that family of his!"

"Doffy and Cora were _always_ nice to me! In fact, they stop to talk to me no matter what they're doing!" Sanji exclaimed indignantly.

"When was the last time you spoke with them?" Zeff asked murderously, nearly crushing Sanji's phone in one hand.

"This afternoon! They were driving around – I don't take them seriously, I can't, because all I've known of them is how stupid they act - !"

"Where exactly where they driving?"

Sanji gave the street names, and Zeff fumed quietly, lips set firmly. Sanji scowled up at the older man, his fists tight at his sides.

"What did they say to you?" Zeff finally asked.

"Not much. Nothing significant. They only asked how I was doing, they told me a couple of stories about Law, and – Doffy was saying they were rolling through the neighborhood to shoot some punks, but that's not even real – he used to listen to a lot of Ice Cube and Run DMC and NWA, he couldn't have been _serious_ – "

Zeff cursed fluidly, looking at the ceiling with such fury that Sanji paused in mid word and looked up at him with a stunned expression. The tension level in the room felt different, again, and while he knew his grandfather wasn't angry at him, he knew that Zeff's frustration level was something beyond a normal circumstance.

"That's what Doflamingo Donquixote told you. They were 'there to shoot some punks'."

"Yeah. I mean, I'm not real familiar with what they do, we only talk occasionally, but I'm sure he didn't mean it. They joke a lot, and – "

"What kind of punks?"

"I don't know."

"What did he say to you exactly?"

"They were just in the neighborhood!"

Zeff left his position, sitting down at his desk and lifted a phone. He glared at Sanji the entire time, Sanji fiddling with his apron as he gave him a curious look, totally lost.

Once Zeff heard a voice on the other end of the phone, he said, "I need a delivery from to Carl's Bakery. I want the inscription as this – 'Congratulations'. I want a blue and yellow theme, with ducks and sailboats. It's very special, for a special occasion. Do you need me to repeat this? Okay. Good. Thank you."

Sanji stared at him with a flat expression. "Am I done, here? The floor's short."

"You'll stop talking to that man," Zeff said tightly, rising from his chair. "You'll stay far away from the Donquixote family. Tomorrow, I'm taking the day off. You and I will be going for a drive to the country. There are some things that we need to talk about."

"Like what?"

"You listen to what I have to say, Sanji!" Zeff yelled at him, hitting his desk with frustration. "No more lip! No more back talk! Just do as I say!"

Then, before his horrified eyes, Zeff broke his phone within that one hand, the screen shattering and the plastic rim bending.

" _Why_? Why did you do that? You're a fucking psychopath! That was my phone! You can't do that! _You can't do that_!" Sanji shouted at him with frustration. "How am I supposed to talk to anybody?"

Zeff tossed the phone aside, looking quite furious as he stood, looming over his desk. "Get back to work. And you'll stay away from that fucking family!"

"You're a fucking jerk! You can't do this to me! I've done everything for you, I have followed every rule, and the moment I break one, you treat me like a fucking prisoner! I hate you!"

"Hate me all you want, kid, I'm doing this for your own good. Your teenaged dramatics are strong now, but later on, you'll thank me for it. Now, stay away from that family! Tomorrow, I'll tell you why!"

Sanji kicked the chair in front of the desk, then whirled and stomped out. Carne looked at him and laughed.

Red faced and furious, Sanji ripped off his apron and stomped out from the kitchen through the side door. He kicked the trash cans, kicked the alley walls, and kicked the dumpster. He stomped through the alley, throwing his hands up in the air, growling, cursing and kicked at anything in his path. He cursed Zeff over and over, stomping around, feeling furious enough to fight anybody that looked him in the eye.

Heaving for breath, he stood for a few minutes in place, watching his breath emerge in the cold air. Traffic ran slowly through the streets around him, the night cold and vaguely promising more snow. Ice glittered on the road and sidewalks, and frost had built up on some of the vehicles that had been parked there since this afternoon.

Frustrated tears built at his eyes and rash decisions came to mind. If he ran away, maybe Zeff would appreciate him, more. Maybe the old man could see that Sanji had done everything Zeff had asked for and more, and maybe he should stop worrying less about what Sanji wasn't doing, and start appreciating what he had been doing. It seemed like Zeff's pressure on him had just built up and he asked for the impossible and Sanji had done what he could to follow his rules, but he had his own independence to seek out, and this week had been just a huge mistake over and over.

He looked over at the sight of movement, and saw the polar bear staring at him nearby, holding a phone. Sanji wiped his eyes and looked at him, blinking because if the polar bear was around, then maybe Law was close by. It'd piss Zeff off even more if he knew that Sanji went to seek out his old friend. If Zeff wanted to punish him, then maybe Sanji should give him a reason to do so.

He marched over to him, the polar bear holding his phone out. Sanji saw that it was on, and he answered it with a huff.

"Where have you been, brat?" Law asked him curiously, that voice of his sending a brief shiver through Sanji's entire being.

"I had my phone taken away. Where are you?" Sanji demanded.

"So that's why you've been ignoring me. Here, I thought you were playing the little distressed damsel and pouting somewhere."

Sanji looked at the restaurant, then scowled at the sign that invited customers to park in the back if the front was full. "I'm coming over. This bear knows where to go, right?"

"Or I can just show up in person," Law said, appearing in place of the bear, causing Sanji to drop the phone in shock. "Oops. That was Penguin's. Hopefully you didn't crack the screen."

"How do you do that?" Sanji asked him, wide eyed as he fumbled to pick up the phone, examining it. It wasn't broken in any way, but it was amusing to see that Penguin had a rather suggestive Selena Gomez wallpaper on it.

"You look so cute in that, like a mini-Zeff," Law said, looking him over with an amused expression.

"You did not call me 'cute'. Let's go. I need a ride home," Sanji said, waving him into walking with him, but Law just stood there and looked at him curiously. " _Let's go_!"

"First off, mini-Zeff, don't order me around. I give out the orders. I'm oldest. Second of all, why are you so upset?" Law asked, shoving his hand into his pocket, regretting not grabbing his jacket. He had his sword, but the loose sweater and jeans with his hat and glasses did not provide any means of defense against the cold night air. "I don't want to end up involuntarily assisting with any crimes that concern minors."

"Too late!" Sanji snapped at him, grabbing his collar and shaking him. "It's _too late_ for that!"

"True," Law said, not even concerned. "But I don't want to step on anyone's foot if it turns out I contributed to yet another crime."

"I'm sick of this old man and his rules! He's unreasonable! He's stupid! He's a fucking jerk! If I leave, maybe he'll then realize just what I am, and everything that I've done right! I make one fucking mistake, and suddenly I'm a fucking screw up! And I talk to whomever I want, it's not like I'm doing a bad thing!"

"You're so _bratty_ ," Law commented, nonplussed by Sanji's fury. "Whatever you did couldn't have warranted such awful behavior. Now, _my_ behavior at your age was a whole different story. You're right. He should be grateful that your only crime is running drugs for Arlong."

Fuming, Sanji tightened his fists and glared at the icy pavement.

Law gave him an amused pat on the back. "Sanji, it'll be fine. Zeff is hard on you for a reason."

"What ' _reason'_?" Sanji snapped.

"He's just a father figure looking out for his youngling, that's all."

"What's your excuse? Cora smothered you!"

"I'm just a different breed of rebellion, that's all. And my family is completely different from yours. Yours is more stable. Mine can't even abide to their invitations on time, and rely on food trucks as a stable food source!"

"He's being an asshole because he…he well, he, uh, came – anyway, Penguin and Shachi were right!" Sanji then confessed, turning red. He pulled his ring off, and threw it at Law with frustration. "All of you were right!"

Forming a surprised 'o', Law realized the significance of that gesture. He threw his head back and laughed heartily, much to Sanji's disgust. He kicked him in the shin with the heel of his shoe, nearly toppling him.

"I warned you!" Law chuckled, wiping his eyes. "I warned you, shitty brat, and there you go, running off doing opposite of what anybody told you to do. What are you so mad for? I'm glad Zeff stepped in the way he's doing. If Cora or Doffy had done the same to me, I wouldn't be the emotional and needy mess I am, today."

"You're the exact opposite of 'needy'!"

"There's no need to scream at me, I'm right here in front of you," Law complained, rubbing at one ear.

"I warned you, if you or if any members of your family ever came near my grandson again," came the ominous threat from behind them, and Sanji whirled with shock, Law looking back with a blank expression. Not even a few feet away from them, Zeff stood there with several of his cooks, all of them with stoic expression and kitchen utensils at hand. What he didn't know was that every single one of them were armed, hiding their weaponry behind aprons, jackets.

Sanji's face reddened, his eyes widening with embarrassment.

Law lowered one hand to his side, the other holding tightly onto his sword as he gave the older man a frown.

"Sanji. Go back inside," Zeff said crossly.

Sanji glared at him. It was humiliating being in this position, being bawled out just for _talking_ to somebody. Law stepped away from him, all the cooks tense, but he knew he could move faster than they could if anybody made a threatening motion. He knew Zeff wouldn't do anything so brash with Sanji there.

"Zeff," he said tightly. "Don't get mad at me for responding when he needed someone to talk to."

"I'd rather it not be someone like _you_ ," Zeff said quietly. "Now, move away from him."

"I'm aware that this is your property, and I had intended on honoring the agreement, but I also can't ignore it if I'm called for assistance."

"We won't give you time to form your room to escape, this time."

"How do you know that I already hadn't?"

Sanji blinked, looking from one man to the other, having no idea what they were talking about. But he realized he'd never seen that furious look on his face, looking at Law with such contempt that he started to feel afraid.

Zeff looked at Sanji. "I broke your phone. How did you contact him?"

"He left the place after he left your office, he didn't use no phone," Carne reported, just waiting for Law to make a move.

Zeff looked at Law. "Did you have someone trailing him?"

"Yes," Law answered truthfully. "I had a friend watching him. Someone had to. You weren't."

"What the fuck did you just say?"

"Tell him about Arlong, Sanji," Law said. Sanji paled significantly, looking guilty. He looked away from Zeff with a cringe, then glared at Law for betraying his trust.

Zeff looked at Sanji with a glare, then back at Law. "I already knew. He was never alone."

"Then how did Doffy and Cora roll up on him earlier this afternoon without any interference?" Law asked him curiously.

Zeff glared at him.

"Then how could you let him run for Arlong for so long?" Law asked him, his indifferent expression turning into a glare. "You knew he was working for that guy, why didn't you do something then?"

"That's not for me to explain to you. Now, get the fuck away from him. I don't want any part of you rubbing off on him."

"Maybe another time," Law said, palm upraised.

Zeff held his hand out as the cooks started reaching for their guns, but in mere moments, Law was gone, and in his place was a full cup of coffee from the shop. Sanji stared at Zeff with such humiliated shock that he couldn't say a thing. Zeff looked at him, the cooks lowering their hands to handle their utensils properly.

"Come over here."

Sanji shook his head tightly, and turned, running from the scene.

"SANJI! COME BACK!" Zeff yelled, then gave a frustrated curse. He used a nodding action for one of the cooks to follow, and when two gave chase, he said to Carne, "Get the car ready. Find this coffee shop. That punk's getting drowned, tonight."

: :

"Close up shop," Law said, startling customers and the other two men as he appeared back at the coffee shop, where he'd left his coffee earlier. This put him in a position near some customers that had been talking to Shachi over the glass food shield, Shachi himself reacting with a startled yell. "We've got visitors incoming."

" _What'd you do_?" Penguin asked, taking his cellphone from him.

"Zeff's pissed because I couldn't resist staying away from his precious little boy."

"I knew it. You took his virginity, didn't you? Sick fuck."

"No, someone else did," Law admitted. He held up the ring that Sanji threw at him, grinning as Bepo and Shachi ushered confused patrons out the door and locked it. "He joined the awkward first timers' club. I expect you guys to give him a hard time the next time we run into each other. Meanwhile, prepare yourselves. The cooks are furious, right now, and I don't think Zeff will let me walk away from this one."

"I'm surprised he let you go, this time," Penguin muttered, swiping all the cash from the tip jar and stuffing his pockets.

"Sanji was with me, he didn't want to give himself away. It sounded as if he were going to finally talk to him. Good, because it was getting awkward in there. Bepo, good work! I knew you could pass their defenses with your cute face. Shachi, Penguin, learn something from him."

Bepo held his paws up with a surrendering gesture as Shachi and Penguin loomed over him with a broom and a dustpan, growling.

: :

Doflamingo lowered his phone, giving Corazon a frown as he adjusted his sleep mask over his forehead. "Law has done something inexcusable again for the last and final time…this week. _Again_."

" _Now_ what'd he do?" Corazon asked with a distressed expression, looking up from his 3DS, the Pokemon theme music driving a spike through Doflamingo's brain. Both of them were lying on Doffy's bed, the older brother dozing off with phone in hand when a text hit him with a cheery ding. Corazon had been battling a losing fight against some local teens and getting frustrated because his Pokemon kept losing against someone's 'goddamn mini-Squirtle'.

"I don't know, but Zeff sent out all the feelers. Damn. I guess I'll cancel that pizza pack I'd ordered. Get the guns, Cora. Nobody threatens or touches our baby but us."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Curiouser and curiouser...**

 **Alasse-m: haha yep the strawhats are still just small pups and aren't that strong yet. Just enough and as the story progresses, they'll be at the level we know. ; ) And hopefully this chapter reveals a few answers :D**

 **Musical Bear: Zeff does have a spotlight here, but for how long? Hehe Oh god I was dramatic at that age, it was terrible. XD but the stories I have are worth my parent's pain so now I can write about them**

 **Guest#1: sorry for the lag, but here is new chappie! And they'll work it out, promise :)**

 **Guest#2: read ahead for the results!**

 **Showihd1: it's OK, this chapter fixes things :) and thanks again for hounding me - nothing like a little Eye of the Tiger at my back :D**

 **Penumbra: hello, welcome! I'm glad you like it so far! Your English is just fine :)**

 **Guest#3: namis just as confused, but she's just a gal feeling like she did something wrong and is trying to fix it. Unfortunately it wasn't the way she thought it would. She'll mature and be better about things later on. As for the guys' blooming romance, well, they're still young :D still potential to mature :D :D**

 **Chapter Five:**

 **When She's Ten Feet Tall**

When Zoro heard the very faint tapping on his window, he ignored it, sure it wasn't what he thought it was. But when it turned into a hard rap that caused the glass panes to rattle slightly, he rose away from his desk, leaving his homework to go investigate. He opened the blinds and saw Sanji standing outside, looking as he were moments from freezing to death. He opened the window.

"What are you doing, fool?" he asked in a bewildered tone.

"Let me in! I'm freezing!"

With an apprehensive glance over his shoulder, Zoro reached for the outstretched hand and helped pull him in, seeing that Sanji was still dressed for the restaurant, skin like ice. Once he was inside, Zoro pulled the comforter from his bed and tossed it to him, shutting the window and blinds moments later. Sanji sat on the floor, shivering, and Zoro looked at him with question.

"Zeff and I had a fight," Sanji explained numbly. "He was being a jerk!"

"And so you ran away from home?" Zoro asked skeptically, noting that he had his restaurant uniform on. "In that?"

"Don't make it sound like that! But, he was being unreasonable."

Zoro sat back down at his desk as Sanji told him a brief version of what happened, sniffling as his body warmed back up. He was just as bewildered as Sanji was when he came to the end of it.

"He looked at him like he was absolute scum!" Sanji added, wiping his nose with the back of one arm, Zoro looking at him with disgust. "I'd never seen Zeff look at someone like that. Well, he made the same face when he heard that I'd invited the brothers to the restaurant. Like he absolutely hates them, and he didn't even say why. But he's so embarrassing! I've never felt so humiliated – like, in a week. This has been a _terrible_ week."

"When Ussop said he saw you talking to them that one time, he was surprised that they treated you so nicely. Considering who they are," Zoro said. "So maybe he's just not telling you because it's not our place to know things like that, yet. Our families do weird shit to keep us out of big things until we're old enough to understand why."

"We're seventeen, I think we're good to know," Sanji growled, pulling the blanket tight around him. "He didn't have to go the lengths that he did to treat me like a fucking kid! I broke one stupid rule – why is he doing this? Why is he treating me like I'm a bad person?"

"At the end of the day, we're at their mercy because we're still living under their rules. So following them should be important and easy. And you didn't walk Nami home, idiot. She told me the real reason why. You're stupid for going through with that with her, no matter what sob story she told you," Zoro added, shaking his head. Sanji flushed. "I don't know what to say about that kind of thing. How awkward is that, now? Knowing you slept with a friend of yours that you're going to have to look in the face everyday?"

"I can't believe she told _you_. How embarrassing."

"It _is_ embarrassing, because I don't want to be caught in the middle. But you knew better. She's not that hard of a person to read."

"I wasn't going to talk about it because she told me not to," Sanji mumbled, sniffling.

"But having said that, maybe Zeff thinks you're now a deviant sex fiend and must be locked up at all costs to keep you from making anymore dumb decisions."

" _Stupid_. I used condoms we got from that sex ed thing they did this semester."

Zoro waved that away. Sanji stared down at his white shirt, more than embarrassed that this was a subject between them. He wiped sidewalk salt from the cuffs of his black slacks, noting that the discoloration had left his shoes stained.

"Adults make the weirdest decisions because they think they're doing their job and keeping you safe from the big world outside. But we're finding our own way through it. Like, I agree with you, I get frustrated when Mihawk tells me I can't do something that you guys are doing, because it's so retarded and unfair because I know you guys aren't doing anything bad. But he's just being protective, and when I look back at it, I just think, Yeah, I'm glad I didn't do that thing. It just takes some time getting there to think that, though."

"Mihawk sucks the fun out of life for you."

"I don't care for that drama, really. Look what Nami's doing to you."

"It's not that bad of a thing, I just feel bad that I can't help her in any way."

"I hate how you make her like, the center of everything. She's just a manipulative cow."

"And you're a green dick with muscle, whatever."

"That is the stupidest insult I'd ever heard come from you."

"You're stupid."

"You're stupider!"

"Why do you think Zeff said all those things?" Sanji then asked. "Can I borrow your phone?"

"Mihawk monitors when I text after these hours he set," Zoro said with a roll of his eyes. "I don't think you should send out anything personal."

"Oh, ugh. Well…never mind. Don't want you to get into trouble."

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know. I was just really angry and upset. It was so humiliating. He had all the guys with him, and they just – it was like they were going to fight Law right then and there. He said that he'd warned him, and he didn't finish the warning – like he was going to say more."

"It took _all_ those guys to do so?"

"Yeah, all the cooks against one guy."

"That's kinda cool."

"Weird, huh? But Law carries a sword – "

"What kind?" Zoro asked, finally looking interested. "I saw him with it, I didn't actually see him use it. That guy was in the way. It looks impossible for him to use quick because of its size."

"Um, something about it being a Meito blade, uh, nodachi something or other, Kikoku, I don't know. It's half his size, with these little crosses on the holder-thingy – "

"A cursed sword?" Zoro asked, turning and looking over his desk, reaching for a small black book. He flipped through it. " 'Kikoku'?"

"Yeah, I don't know, is that a brand, or something?"

"It's a name. It could mean demon's wail. A Meito blade is one of the most finest made swords in the world, it's pretty high up there in terms of value and strength. Also, nodachi means that it's longer than the ones that I have, so I wonder if he uses it for actual offense or defense, or if he just uses it to focus ability through it. It's not in the book. I wish I could see it."

"It's not that big of a deal," Sanji mumbled.

"So, when we saw him that day when you fought that guy – what was he doing?"

"I don't know."

"Those guys that were with him, they said something or other about a new strain?"

"The White Rabbit has a new strain that makes it work fast. People are getting pretty worried about it. It's not a good one – Arlong's stash is one of the worst, I hear. Law knows a lot about it, but it seems like he's just looking for it, not participating in selling or actually using it."

"Why? I mean, why go through all this effort just to look at it?"

"I don't know. See, that's what I mean – why doesn't anybody ever just talk about this sort of thing with us, instead of trying to drive down useless shit down our throats? I'm more interested in why these things are happening around us, than I am with school."

"Me, too. Hey, listen, you better get going. If Mihawk catches me talking to you like this, he'll throw a fit."

"I've never seen Mihawk ever 'throw a fit'."

"He gets all lecture-ry and throws in extra exercises and blah blah blah morals and values this, blah blah blah focus and train blah blah blah that."

"Hah. Okay. I'll head home. Thanks for letting me in."

"Yeah, no prob. Just…stop being so impulsive when it comes to Nami. And Zeff's just doing his job, he's just watching out for you. Like, you even said you don't talk to that guy very often, he probably knows everything about him and he's just protecting you."

"I don't think Law's done anything that's a threat to me. We were just friends. Like, he's older but all he does is piss me off, and he's never pressured me to – " Sanji trailed off, reddening slightly as he remembered the other night. "Well, he's not that bad of a person. He's just got these horrible moments where he just challenges the rule and – I don't know. I just know he's not a bad person."

"And the Donquixote brothers?"

"I can't take them seriously. Law and I were watching cartoons at his place one day, and I remember Doffy and Corazon started fighting about Doffy's gambling. Doffy sat on him and did that ugly spit thing that Luffy tried to do to you. And these are _two grown_ men. That's how I know them."

Sanji sighed wistfully. "Sometimes, I wish I'd lived with them. Maybe life would've been a little more fun."

"Seems like not, considering how this 'Law' is always on the run with bad stories following him. We are where we are meant to be."

Sanji shrugged, rising from the floor. "Thanks for letting me stay here. I'll go home. Maybe I was a little overdramatic."

"Nothing is ever 'little' with you."

"Gotta live life to the fullest, eh?" Sanji said, opening the window and climbing out. "How else am I going to know what's out there if I don't go and explore it?"

"Is satisfying your curiosity really worth the trouble?"

When Zoro heard him drop to the ground, he followed, lifting the blinds to look out. He watched his friend walk to the fence and climb over, and he shook his head, shutting the window and closing the blinds. He turned to return to his homework and nearly screamed as Mihawk looked down at him with a heavy frown.

"You're having friends over after hours?" Mihawk asked him, standing there in his robe and sleep pants, tablet in hand.

"That was Sanji, he was just being dramatic over a fight he had with Zeff."

"So he came here to have you break a rule?"

"I couldn't just tell him to 'go away' when it looked like he needed help!"

"You could've told him to use the front door. If a friend looks like they're in need of counseling, it's fine if they use the front door in a civilized manner. Not traipsing through windows like criminals."

"You just said - !"

"It doesn't matter what I said. I'll not raise a deviant. Have him use the front door, next time, and there's no need to sneak around if someone's upset. I'll be nice."

"Hah, yeah, right," Zoro muttered, sitting back down at his desk. "Anyway, got tons of homework to do. _Later_."

Mihawk frowned at him for dismissing him so rudely, but he did leave the room.

 _Teenagers and their dramatics_ , he thought with a vague frown.

: :

The battle was fought grandly, but their youth wasn't enough for experience. And despite his abilities, Law realized that fighting one of the Top Rungs wasn't a good idea – Zeff had experience to beat out his endurance, and before he knew it, the cooks were overwhelming his two friends and Zeff had him cornered at the end of a pier overlooking the cold harbor.

Despite only having one leg, Zeff knew how to use that other leg with a vicious reaction. Law had never seen metal and brick shatter the way it did when Zeff missed him and connected with something that wasn't supposed to move. It was because of that that he didn't even dare let the man land a single one on him, but that meant he couldn't land one of his own, either. Distance was important and critical, and he was sorely outmatched. There was a reason why Zeff was considered one of the top five fighters in the city, and he was only ranked 48.

Panting tightly as Zeff slowly walked after him, Law looked beyond him to see that Penguin and Shachi were desperately fighting off the other cooks. They weren't considered wimps by any means – they were just as capable as he in physical combat. But the cooks had age and experience on their side, and in seconds, they were going to be taking a nap in the harbor if he didn't think of something quick.

He looked off into the side, judging the area – it was just a few blocks away from the coffee shop, and the pleasant walking path alongside the harbor was a paved trail that would lead a few miles to a pedestrian bridge in the distance. All around them were various vehicles taking advantage of free night time parking for the apartments nearby. He released a heavy exhale and created a room that strained his abilities, taking away from the strength he had left. He switched out Penguin and Shachi with a couple of trashcans he'd seen minutes earlier, away from the pier.

Zeff was on him in moments, and because he'd used much of his strength swapping out his friends, he barely had time to block the leg that came down over him. The force of that kick sent him tumbling away, rolling underneath the railing and over the edge of the deck. He caught onto the wood quickly before he pulled himself back up, using everything he had to do so.

He pulled himself up into a crouch, catching his breath as Zeff advanced on him. He lifted a hand to make another room to teleport himself away, but the power just fizzed on him. He'd used the last of it swapping the other two away from the scene.

He laughed, rising to stand on shaky legs. If he was going to go down, he wasn't going to go down from his knees. "Damn. For an old man you've got some strength."

"I'd warned you, whelp, that if you ever showed your face around my area again, I'd make sure it was your last," Zeff told him. "I'd given you fair warning. It's your own fault that you chose to challenge it."

"Well, considering that I broke your rule just to come out when Sanji asked, it's a little unfair. I was lured onto your property, you should give me a break."

"I'd almost taken pity on you as a child. But it was my fault for giving that boy too much freedom in the first place – I should've been more attentive, I should've made the rules a little stronger. I should not have allowed him to hang with a boy five years older than him, influencing him with the world he was just starting to thrive in."

"We were _kids_ , back then, old fart. There's no harm between children, but I admit, at this age, I can be a rather bad influence on him, now."

Zeff kicked out with his peg-leg, and caught him in the stomach.

Law quickly fell forward to grab onto the wood, digging his fingers in as his lower half dangled over the cold water. He pulled himself back up, using his own dogged stubbornness to do so. Something caught his eye as he was doing so, Zeff advancing on him quickly. Once he realized it was Sanji's ring, he reached for it, almost laughing because that one kick of Zeff's had been so hard that it emptied his pockets. Even his wallet was lying there, but as he reached for that, Zeff stepped down on his hand with his peg-leg and shattered every metacarpal in that appendage.

He refused to scream out with pain, clenching his teeth and reaching with his other hand to pull on that wrist, to try and yank it out.

"These things work on anybody with your ability," Zeff said calmly, crouching to apply a set of sea-stone cuffs to his free wrist, and the energy immediately drained him of any other intention Law had at that moment. He felt like rubber, slouching on the wood with a sound of dread leaving him.

Zeff finally stepped away from his shattered hand, but he remained close by. He crouched again. "I apologize that it had to come to this. But I'd given fair warning to all of you. I'm sure your family would understand the lengths I'm taking _if_ they find you. I know you're estranged from them, but not estranged enough."

"You can't keep him young forever. Eventually, he has to grow up and live in his own world," Law said sluggishly.

"This life stops with this generation." Zeff stood, foot on his shoulder. "It's too bad. You might've had a chance, too."

"My interest isn't this life. It's something different."

"I'm sure it is."

Zeff kicked him off the pier, then waited for him to sink beneath the cold surface before turning and walking away with a low exhale. He straightened his suit, then began walking away until his feet stopped in mid step. With a surprised expression, he realized his body was moving of his own accord, arms and legs moving independently of his thoughts. He looked up with confusion, watching as Doflamingo and Corazon made their way to him. The other cooks were lying in various positions around them, and he suddenly realized how silent it was.

He looked at the brothers with surprise. Corazon looked relieved, looking beyond him with a smoking gun in one hand.

"I didn't know polar bears existed this side of the world!" he said happily. "He thought ahead!"

"Zeff, I'd given you the distance you requested, but you stepped over the line," Doflamingo said, fingers shifting as Zeff found himself facing the pair of men. He noticed that Doflamingo took lead position, his brother close to his back. "None of our family members were to be touched. That was the agreement."

"I warned your brat and yourselves what would happen if any of you had bothered mine," Zeff snapped. "I followed through with my threat."

"He's not involved in our matters."

"Then you're either dumb or blind," Zeff snapped at him. "Haven't you realized how many of the White Rabbit manufacturers have been disappearing throughout the area? How many of us are finding ourselves facing each other over played misdeeds? He's the cause of it!"

"That's a lie. He works a shit job with a shitty apartment with college friends, and has no plans on being great. Granted, he's a fucking loser, but he's _our_ fucking loser. That doesn't mean you have permission to dole out the punishment necessary," Doflamingo told him. "And so what if your precious manufacturers are disappearing? Less competition for us!"

"You really don't think he's involved with this world?"

"Of course not! He told us he wasn't," Corazon snapped at him.

Zeff stared at him in stiff silence, sure that these brothers were stupid. Then he said, "More business for _you_ , as they buy weapons from you to lay hands on each other!"

"You need to start adjusting to the modern world, old man," Doflamingo said. "You old geezers are content on sitting back on your old asses, thinking that your previous ways would be enough to rule the streets."

"That's a common problem for you young punks! Thinking that this age will be your advantage! It's all the same mechanics!"

"You made your last mistake, old man. No one touches that kid but us, no matter what problem he causes. Time for you to go for a swim," Doflamingo said with a wide grin, fingers moving.

"You kill me tonight, you lose a majority of your allies," Zeff warned, as his body walked to the edge of the pier. Doflamingo forced him to a pause. "You're a young whelp in this world, but now you're reacting out of impulsive decision to strike back without thinking when you've been struck. My ties are far and wide – when you kill me, you'll lose what position you have after all your years of hard work. You think it won't happen? Complete this action. But once I go, you'll never regain what you've lost. Give it a few years, and maybe you'll have the power you need to get rid of me safely."

Corazon placed a hand on Doflamingo's shoulder. With a snap of his fingers, sound returned around Zeff, but he noticed that the pair of them were speaking to each other. Doflamingo looked pissed, Corazon argued his point, both of them gesturing wildly – once Zeff realized that he was no long under Doflamingo's control, he turned to face them. Their intense discussion had both of them yelling silently at each other until Doflamingo gave in to Corazon's insistence. Corazon then snapped his fingers, and Doflamingo faced Zeff with a frustrated expression.

His hands lifted, and Zeff found himself walking forward, his left hand held out. Corazon reached for his arm to hold it steady, and fired the gun point blank into that outstretched hand, Zeff releasing a horrified roar of pain and outrage. He cradled the destroyed appendage to his chest with horror as Corazon nodded with satisfaction, stepping back behind his brother.

"Hand for a hand," Corazon said firmly. "Whatever those kids have in common should _stay_ with the kids. It's not fair to keep them apart because _we_ don't like each other. Whatever brought them together as friends should stay between them without our involvement. Neither one of them is involved with our business. As you kept yours out of it, we kept ours away from it, as well."

His words hit Zeff's conscious. A memory opened then, of seeing the pair sitting on the rock wall, eating something that Sanji had made for both of them, and Law scaring away the kids that intended on commenting on the domesticated scene. Then earlier this night, when Law called him out for letting Arlong have control over Sanji's drug running. He had to admit that the Donquixotes' kid did watch out for the boy that stubbornly pushed to be his friend.

He exhaled heavily, because a truce had been recognized. He nodded once just to show that he agreed.

The two began walking away, but Doflamingo told him as he walked, "You've been touched by an _angel_ , girl."

Zeff stared after them with immense bewilderment, Corazon whacking his brother with his gun for sounding "so stupid! You're so _embarrassing_!"

He had to stare out at the water of the harbor.

: :

Sanji cupped his hands around his eyes, peering into the coffee shop. He looked around himself, rubbing his hands together as his breath caught the cold night air. Looking around, he saw that a majority of the shops in the area were closed down, and traffic was very light. It seemed as if there was no soul around. He walked up the sidewalk, looking around himself. He wasn't quite ready to go home, sure that he needed his thoughts in order before he confronted Zeff about his behavior.

Blowing into his hands, he walked up the sidewalk, then turned down an alleyway for a shortcut. He thought about what was exchanged between the two men – Zeff was obviously a respected character in the world, beyond the restaurant. He didn't know what Law had meant about an agreement, but he knew Zeff must've set some boundaries. And for him to tell Law that he couldn't talk to Sanji? That was just utter nonsense.

They were _friends_. They were two friends that might have been separated by an age gap, but they were friends. When they were children, they hung out at each other's homes. Law would eat snacks at their apartment, looking so grateful for 'real' food, and Zeff would talk to him about little things, but suddenly that genteel behavior that Zeff has exhibited back then had fallen away to utter contempt for the adult.

He looked up when he saw movement ahead of him. It was a black towncar, and when the doors opened, Corazon and Doflamingo left the back, the younger brother carrying a set of guns in each hand, smoking and talking from the corner of his mouth. The car pulled away moments later, driving away from them. Sanji didn't hear a thing. In fact, when Doflamingo turned to talk back, his mouth moved a mile a minute, and Sanji wondered why his instinct told him to be silent.

He kept to the shadows as he hurried down the length of the alley, and carefully peered out, watching them stalk their way towards the pier nearby. He saw the barrel of Corazon's guns flash, and people dropped in a distance from him, but Sanji was mystified to the lack of sound. Doflamingo's hands went to his pocket, his peculiar way of walking causing him to amble while Corazon's gait had him practically on his tip toes. Sanji went to follow, but suddenly he was jerked back by a pair of hands, and his mouth muffled.

He looked back and realized it was Shachi that held his mouth shut, and both of them looked in such a state that Sanji realized he was walking up to something that he shouldn't even be seeing.

"Shh," Penguin warned him, having lost his hat a long time ago. Both him and Shachi looked scared, still dressed in their work overalls, and Sanji had a million questions but he knew they weren't going to be answered. The pair of them were peering around a building corner, staying out of sight.

Corazon made short work of attacking men, and then they were walking up the pier like a pair of flashy ghosts. Sanji couldn't see their destination, a crab shack blocking his view, but the men behind him didn't let go of him.

Shachi turned, and waved beyond Sanji's sight, so he turned and saw the polar bear running through a side alley, discarding his overalls along the way.

"C'mon, kid, let's get out of here. What are you doing out here so late, anyway?" Shachi asked him curiously, Penguin forcing Sanji to turn and walk with them. He kept a hand on Sanji's arm, and Sanji felt discomfort because they didn't intend for him to leave them.

"What's happening back there?" he asked.

"Everything's out of our control! We try to walk up on that mess, we'd get shot or see something we're not supposed to see," Shachi said, reaching up to fiddle nervously with his hair. "Boss wanted us out of there for a reason."

"Law?" he asked tentatively. "Is he okay? Is - ?"

"Don't worry about it, kiddo, he's got it under control."

"With Corazon and Doflamingo there, we're out."

"This is a really confusing situation, I wish I knew what was happening!"

"It's not up to us to say, kid," Penguin said, Shachi opening a door at the back of the shop, all of them walking in. He let go of Sanji, then, shutting the door tightly and locking it behind him. "Look, we'll call you a cab or Uber, eh? Send you home?"

"I'm avoiding Zeff at the moment. We had a fight."

"Oh, we heard," Shachi mumbled.

"And I just came over here, looking for Law, because he was involved. I just…wanted to make sure things were alright. I knew Zeff had it out for him, but I didn't know it was that bad," Sanji confessed.

"It's just business, kid, that's all it is. Hey, what's this?" Penguin then asked him, pointing at his ringless finger. He grinned. "How'd it go?"

"There is more important things happening right now, and this isn't going to be one of them! Is Zeff over there? Is…is he fighting with Law? Is that what this is about?" Sanji then asked, feeling worried all over again.

"Remember the ranking system we told you about, sometime ago?"

"No."

"The city has a ranking system for all the fighters in the area. High school kids don't even exist on the board, but others do. Your grandfather is ranked in the top five," Shachi said, pulling out his phone, scrolling and tapping hastily. "Law is in the top forty. It's a losing battle, and it's a big thing that us small fry need to stay out of."

Sanji didn't understand how calm they were about the situation when he felt fear over his friend's safety hit him like a fist in the gut. But with their light attitudes, he had to trust them. "I don't get the ranking system. What is it for?" he asked shakily.

"It's like this, squirt, listen up – every syndicate has their power based on supply and demand, right? You know your grandfather's involved in this world, yeah?"

"I only know that he is, but I don't know the details."

Shachi and Penguin looked at each other with discomfort. But then Shachi sighed heavily, finger waving in the air as he wandered away to start digging into one of the refrigerators nearby.

"Well, Zeff should really be telling you this, but…not only is he one of the top fighters, he's also one of the top minds of his own syndicate in the area. He helped build the others from the bottom up – this part of the city belongs to him, really, and other syndicate heads, like the Donquixote brothers, often report to him on their earnings and their intentions on building their leverage. Everyone feeds off each other to help each other prosper. The fighter ranking system is there in place to measure the strength and power in each other to assess their power levels when it comes to balancing out syndicate strengths."

"That doesn't make any sense."

"It's business, kid, above all, it's business. The Donquixote brothers supply weapons to other syndicates – weapons kill. Arlong deals in construction – he helps the city grow. So on, and so on – they keep the city running consistently, but they do kill each other when someone steps out of bounds, or acts out of line."

"It's like living in a house full of siblings that are trying to win the respect of their favored parent," Shachi said, pouring a strong smelling liquid into a pair of mugs, and handing Sanji an apple juice designed for toddlers. He and Penguin drank theirs with twin exhalations of satisfaction. "Except the parents are people like Zeff, who decides which kid to favor."

"So for the Donquixote brothers to attack him now, at this time, it's a huge thing. Kids talking back to their parents never walk away without suffering the consequences. They're stepping up to challenge him and it sets things off balance, with potential for things to get violent."

"More than likely, Zeff will put in word to shut them down if they don't talk it out tonight. If he hasn't already killed them."

"What is your involvement?" Sanji asked curiously.

"We're not involved in anything, just the White Rabbit. Where did it come from? Where is it going? What is it doing? That sort of thing. Everyone has a different version of the Rabbit, but senpai's interested in its origin story. For some reason, he thinks that by getting to it…" Penguin trailed off. "But that's his own thing. That's not for me to say."

"He'll probably find it, and destroy it, of course," Sanji said with a snort, leaning his elbows on the table. "He might be looking for it because he thinks it's an unfair advantage for anybody to have over each other. Once he gets rid of it, he'll think it's even."

Penguin and Shachi stared at him with mugs paused halfway to their mouths.

"He used to do that a lot to Doffy and Cora, take away anything that caused them conflict with each other, whether it was food or the tv remote."

"Well…I guess that's the short version of it." Shachi looked at his phone, then stood hastily. "Your Uber's in front, kid. Time to get a move on."

"Is there a way I can see him? I just…want to make sure he's okay. He's my friend, and this happened because of me."

Penguin gave him a napkin with an address. "We'll be at work, tomorrow, but after everything tonight, he's going to be down for awhile. His abilities take a lot out of him when he uses it too much."

"That just opens up more questions," Sanji said with annoyance, folding and tucking the napkin away. "But thanks for telling me this stuff. No one else would."

"It's only the beginning, kid. It's just…not our place to tell you anything else, quite yet."

"We don't know that much about anything, ourselves, and so it wouldn't be right if we said anything, anyway."

Sanji frowned at the both of them, shaking his head. Then he walked towards the door, muttering under his breath.

"Did he just call us Tweedledee and Tweedledum? Because if he did, I'm going to knock his nose in," Shachi threatened, pouring another round of alcohol.

"Ah, you can't even hit the broadside of a barn with those wussy hands of yours."

"Don't tempt me, jerk."

When Zeff finally returned home later hours later, he saw that Sanji was sitting in the living room, waiting for him. The teenager rose up to look at him with a determined frown. There were definitely times when Zeff missed seeing the easily agreeable face of his, when Sanji followed his rule without challenge or protest, but he had to admit that the teenager was growing up. He just had a very hard time letting him get to that point when all he knew of the boy was his youth. To know that Sanji was already sexually active, running drugs, smoking, and already making his way through the junior fighting ranks was almost as if Zeff were living with a stranger. He didn't want the boy to have the sort of life where this was it for him – he wanted him to see that there was more to it.

"I went to Zoro's," Sanji said tightly to Zeff. "It wasn't fair of you to react that way, shitty geezer. I've always done what you've asked me to do. I made one stupid mistake – like, that's something I have to live with, I don't need you reminding me how terrible of a person I am for it. But to go and humiliate me in front of all your friends over my friend coming to my aid, when I needed him the most – that's out of line. If there was something there between you two that he had to agree with, then it's my fault for forcing the issue with him. It's my fault he was there."

"There are reasons behind it," Zeff said stiffly, walking to the nearest chair and sitting slowly. Despite seeing a doctor that didn't question injury or specifics of cause, his hand would be out for a very long time. But it was fair, considering what he'd done to the Donquixotes' kid, and knowing that his had escaped a similar fate.

"What's wrong with your hand?" Sanji asked, looking at it with worry.

"Burned it. A little bird disrupted our flow, tonight."

"'Burned' it? I thought fire didn't bother you."

"It doesn't bother _you_ , but it can bother me. Come here."

Sanji walked over to him, looking at him reproachfully, but when Zeff reached out to pat the top of his head, he was really confused.

"I'm sorry, too. I overreacted. I'm sure you'll understand soon enough why I detest that family."

"I wish you wouldn't. They've always treated me well."

"I see that."

"You didn't do anything, like, weird to him, did you?"

"He got away with his life, and that's good enough."

Sanji stared at him, wondering if he should believe him, but Zeff rose from his chair.

"We'll talk about it after school, tomorrow. Get some rest. I'll buy you another phone. _But_ ," he said with a warning tone, "you're still grounded. And for your behavior tonight, there's another week tacked on. You'll have your phone back, but I'll be monitoring it very closely, from now on."

"You won't throw a fit if I'm still talking to Law? Because I'll be honest right now, I'm going to go find him to see if he's okay. That's my friend, you controlling bastard. I don't like what you said and how you said it. I don't know if I should be concerned whether or not he's - "

"I don't like it. But don't fall into any grand idea that he has that doesn't sound right to you. Got it?"

It was such an unexpected turnaround from earlier that Sanji didn't know what to say. What had happened out there that had made Zeff change his mind? He wanted to ask, but it looked like Zeff wouldn't say. So he took it as is because Zeff was giving him freedom.

"Okay, yes sir," Sanji said, starting to look happy. With reluctance, Zeff reached out and patted the top of his head before he made his way towards his bedroom.

Happily, Sanji turned off all the lights in the living room and went to his own room.

The next day at school, Nami draped herself over his shoulders, startling him into choking on his sucker. She kissed his ear and said, "I'm sorry. I finally heard about your phone. I was texting you, and getting mad because you weren't responding. I thought you were being a jerk."

"I wouldn't ignore you for anything, Nami. Are you feeling better, today?" he asked her, delighted that she would even make the first contact. Zoro rolled his eyes at them from across the table. At his side, Ussop was advising Luffy on arming his 'mini-Squirtle' with the best moves against an opponent's more advanced Charizard.

"Much better! Maybe we can go for ice cream after school, hm?" she asked, eyes twinkling as she peered around him to look him in the face. "Let's hang out together, then I'll help speed you to work so Zeff won't bawl you out for hanging out with little ole me."

"That sounds great! I'll buy," he said cheerfully, extra happy when she kissed his cheek. He gave Zoro a thumbs up as she took her seat next to him, and Zoro just shook his head, a sneer on his face. Nami started teasing the younger teens about their 3DS's, Luffy sticking his tongue out at her while Ussop frowned at her, demanding seriousness.

"So I was thinking – I've one more year here, right?" Nami said, shaking out her chips. "What if I didn't finish school? Just went for my GED?"

"Why?" Sanji and Zoro asked.

"I'm starting to think that Arlong is lying," she said quietly. "He keeps saying we're close, we're close, but are we really? I'm the one that made his maps, it's me he's focused on. Maybe if I leave the area, he can't really do anything."

"Running away won't help anything, Nami," Luffy warned her. "If you want, we can go in and beat his ass. It'd be no problem."

"It'd be everyone's problem, moron," she said. "You guys are all impressive fighters, but you're nothing like most of them. Arlong has some of the best in town. There's no way all of you combined can do so. You're just high school kids compared to the ones already ranked and recognized in their system."

"It's like she's issuing a challenge with a straight face, like she wants us to die," Ussop said, glaring at her.

"I'd be down," Zoro said, interested. "None of the guys I've fought recently were any competition. What would it be like to fight a fishman?"

"Probably one of the most coolest things to ever do!' Luffy crowed.

"It's probably one of the worst ideas we could have," Sanji said.

"Then you sit aside and watch us from the sidelines."

"No way! I'm in, no doubt, I'm just saying, it's a bad idea."

"I'm not having anybody going in on that guy's property to beat him up!" Nami snapped at all of them. "I'm just saying – my option is me taking off. If he can't reach me, he can't threaten me!"

"But what about your family?" Zoro asked her curiously.

"He won't touch them. He only wants me."

"But if he can't get you, he'll get to them."

"I just don't want to do this anymore," she said, tearing up. "I hate that you guys are selling on my behalf! I hate being under his control! I just want out of it! I want to run away! I know that it'll solve the problem! I can make money elsewhere, without his control."

"I've got sucky grades, anyway," Luffy said, lowering his 3Ds. "I wouldn't mind leaving for adventure. I might be better at something like that than this!"

"That's a horrible idea! Stay in school!" Sanji snapped at him. "Nami, we'll figure something out. Don't run away."

"I hate that I put all of you in this position! Please, just – !"

"We'll handle this, Nami," Luffy said with confidence. "If that's what you want to do, then we'll do what we can to fix it. You're our friend, that's what friends should be doing for each other."

"Getting each other killed? Luffy, you idiot, I'm not going to be okay with this when you guys wind up hurt because of it! It'll be easier if I just run away!"

"We're doing it," Luffy said to Zoro, who nodded.

"Sounds like fun, to me."

"If you guys are, then I'm in," Sanji said.

Nami stood up from the table, and managed to slap them all in turn. Then she stomped away while Luffy stared after her with a frown, Zoro rubbing his cheek and Sanji looking stunned as he rubbed his jaw.

"We're doing it," Luffy confirmed, nodding.

"How are you going to sneak away from Zeff to do it?" Zoro asked Sanji curiously.

"On Saturday, he has a business meeting with some clients of his. He wants me to be at the restaurant by eleven. I have that morning open."

"Saturday morning it is, then. We head to Arlong's," Luffy said. "This is going to be so great! Then you guys won't have to sell anymore."

"Anybody else with any other dumb ideas, keep it to yourself," Zoro warned them, resuming eating as the two younger boys resumed looking at their 3DS's, and Sanji looked down at his lunch, knowing he had until Saturday to help put their plan into action.

When he got home from school later that afternoon, Zeff was already sitting there, drinking from one of his vintage bottles of wine. From the looks of it, he had been sitting there awhile. Apprehensively, Sanji set his bag down, then went into his room to change out of his uniform. He doused himself with body spray first, to eliminate the smell of his cigarettes from him, and then went to brush his teeth. When he was through, he went and joined Zeff at the kitchen table.

"I'm not stupid, boy, I know you took up that bad habit," Zeff growled. "I can smell it on you as soon as you walked in. Why would you do that to yourself?"

Sanji shrugged because he knew his reasons weren't going to please Zeff, anyway.

"Change of plans," Zeff then said, folding his arms atop of the table. "We're not going anywhere. I was called in for a very important matter. But I want to tell you a story, first."

"I'm a little too old for stories," Sanji said. "I'm getting a vague idea of what's happening, here."

"What do you know?"

"You're…you run a big organization. You have a lot of power. You're not just a restaurant owner. You're a crook like everyone else. Which makes sense, now, considering how fucking secretive you are and why you don't like certain people."

"It's true. I knew you'd find out one of these days, but I'd hoped to tell you before then. Unfortunately, things don't always work out that way. Yes, I do run an organization. Not in the way that you think – I'm not a senseless ruffian like some people are, I'd like to think of myself as someone that watches over everyone else and makes sure they follow the rules. Humankind has always had corruption and evil in it – there's no running from it. But if there's a way to contain it, then it makes life a little easier. That's what I do. That's what keeps crime to itself here in this town. If we prey on each other, then people can walk around a little safer."

"Sounds completely illogical."

"When you're older, and you see more of it, you'll understand. With these changing times, with younger groups emerging from the streets with their twisted sense of power and manipulation, I feel that my time is limited where I am. Which is fine. I've worked hard enough as it is to not have any regrets in leaving it behind. When I leave my position, it'll be passed onto someone else."

"Not me, right?"

"Not you. Which comes to this. You're not related to me in any means. I worked for your real family, a syndicate of assassins that were hired by other groups throughout the world to provide some relief when called for. One day, the house was overrun by another group, who felt that they had too much power in their abilities. Your brothers and your sister were murdered along with your parents, by these gunmen. I was able to sneak you out. We came to the states, I built my own, but because of my ties to the world I left, I could not escape it. So instead of running from it, I joined it, under my terms. This world is the result of it."

Sanji sat in silence for so long that Zeff knew saying anything at that moment wouldn't do much.

"I don't even remember any part of that," Sanji muttered. "I don't remember faces, I don't remember words. But I guess it makes sense now. Why I don't."

"It was traumatic for a child your age. Of course you blocked it out. Who knows if you'll ever remember it? But there's no need to. Once I had enough power, I dissolved that particular group. You're in no danger – to that group, at least. But I kept you out of this world for a reason. When I leave it, it dies with me. There's no need for you to be involved in it. You've got your own life, now, dealing with this mess. With growing up. Learning your place in the world. There's absolutely no need for you to go traipsing through other people's business in the street."

"Kinda hard for you to say that, now. If you're this bigshot hot shot, of course I'd be targeted, right?"

"That isn't how it works. In this organization, we keep our hands off non-participants in order to maintain order and control. I was out of line, last night. And I deserve the consequences of it," Zeff said quietly, holding up his hand. "Hand for a hand, the situation was resolved."

"That's my friend, old man."

"I know. And no matter what I do, I know that I should not be placing my own personal vendetta against your relationship the way that I did. I had felt that that family reminds me so much of the one that killed your real one, that I didn't trust them. They can smile right at your face and stab you under the table if they have a chance. But after last night, I was proven wrong. They were fair when it came to deciding my fate. Once I saw that, I realized that my retirement couldn't come early enough. I had made my decision based on my own dislike, and not of logic and common sense. If those brothers had wanted to make their climb up the ladder as easy as possible, they would've done so a long time ago. But they're a lot more like me than I realized. They love that stupid kid of theirs, as much as I love mine. If I can't see that and work past it to continue the containment of forces, then I'm not fit for my position. They run their business logically, and they stay within their boundaries."

Zeff exhaled heavily, watching as Sanji stared at the table with a quiet expression. "But this world isn't for you. I don't want you caught up in it. I didn't spend all these years keeping you out of it just to have you chasing after rabbits. I want you out and away from it. That friend of yours is already venturing too far inside of it for me to feel comfortable with it, and that was why I'd warned him to stay away from you."

Sanji shook his head numbly. "I wish you told me this a lot sooner. I don't know how to feel about it, right now."

"Take some time to process it. If you have questions, ask me. But the reason why I keep you on a short leash is because I want something different for you. I want this life of yours to remain as normal as possible – there's no need for you to be involved in it. Stay out of it. I'm going to work, now. For tonight, stay in. Think about it."

"What about my phone?"

"I'll bring it when I come home, later."

Sanji then nodded, but he had nothing to say. Zeff didn't know what else to say either, leaving it at that as he took his glass with him, the bottle tucked under one arm. Sanji waited until he left the condo before he started moving around. His head felt heavy with thought. But he wasn't going to stick around to think about it by himself. He wanted a distraction.

He didn't want to grow up just yet. It just seemed like such a bother.

A half hour after Zeff left, Sanji pulled on his jacket and looked at the napkin Penguin had given him last night. He caught a taxi, and was a little apprehensive about the entire thing, because now he knew better. He still felt heavy with what had been shared with him, but he couldn't quite concentrate on it just yet. He walked into the apartment – a nice area with pets on leashes but too many college aged people sitting around with beer and portable barbeque grills set out in the snow – and was amused at the mess. There were textbooks on every available table, empty take out boxes overflowing in the trash can, too big of a tv with too many dvds still in their wrappers propped atop of a rickity milk crate – it looked so sparse with folding chairs and an empty kitchen that Sanji figured it fit the lives of three men on the run from whatever it was they did. When he stepped on something sticky, he curled his mouth with revulsion and crouched to pick it up, catching sight of a gun taped to the bottom of the bar counter. He felt eight again, shaking his head as he picked up the remains of a banana peel and tossed it in the direction of the trash can.

Just out of curiosity, he looked over the kitchen counter and saw that there were multiple guns there as well, mixed with some cookies from the store, empty Capri-suns and a cup with moldy coffee in it. He wrinkled his nose with disgust. Then he spotted the bead container nearby, with neatly printed labels on them, and White Rabbit pills tucked neatly inside. Carefully, he picked it up and hauled it onto the counter. They were all a variation of the pill from different syndicates, and the labels were marked with stars that he supposed were rated on potency. For a few moments, he stared at the bunch, then took a pill from the container with the highest amount of stars. He put that in his pocket and put the container back where he found it.

He then removed his jacket and set it atop of a nearby beach chair, hearing the faint sounds of a documentary coming from one of the rooms.

Sanji turned a corner and found the bedroom he wanted – the master, of course – and when he saw Law lying in bed, he felt apprehensive. The man looked exhausted and battered, with obvious injury here and there, his left hand wrapped. Bepo sat next to him with a friendly bear face, his laptop held on his lap as he sat primly in a chair next to the bed. The man looked at him with light smile. Sanji needed that expression at that moment. He felt invited and welcomed, and it was only just a smile.

"Hey, brat," he said, and Sanji didn't know how to feel knowing that it was his grandfather that left him in this state. He'd seen injury before, but nothing that laid a strong man out in bed, looking nothing like he did the day before. Law looked as if he'd shriveled to half his size, looking as exhausted as he did. Sanji slipped his shoes off and crawled onto the bed next to him, feeling terrible.

"Don't get any weird ideas," he warned him, reaching out to hug him. He felt bad for the things that happened, but he had to admire the feel of his solid form against him. For a moment, he breathed in his scent, that smell alone giving him flip-flops.

"How do I not when some dude invades my bed to throw himself on me?"

Sanji pushed away from him with a flustered expression, twisting to sit at the edge. He exhaled heavily, gathering his thoughts. Law looked at him in silence, seeing that the teen was in deep concentration, and after the events of last night, he figured he had a lot on his mind.

He then rubbed the ring he'd saved from last night off and away from his pinky, holding it out at him. Sanji looked at it with surprise, reaching out and taking it, examining it with a sullen frown.

"It's meaningless, now," he said.

"You talked about that sort of thing since you were eight, and you've had this for a very long time. Seems weird you'd throw it away, now."

"I ruined it just taking what was offered to me. I didn't even think about the afterward, or for the fact that it wasn't given for the reasons I thought it should have. It was just…two of us hurrying up before curfew," he said bitterly.

"Next time you'll take my advice. I've done all the wrong things for you, little brat."

Sanji closed his fingers around the ring and looked at him with a smirk. "Yeah, Mr. college campus bus-stealer."

"That was only a misunderstanding. And those weren't her kids. They were her roommates'."

"You're a twisted bastard, just like they say."

"People like me were put on this earth to discourage people like you from taking the path already taken."

"Not only do you 'discourage', you tend to lead a foolish person like me into paths that amuse you."

"Where else can I find humor but in other people's misfortunes?"

"You're such a Cheshire cat with that smile of yours," Sanji remarked, leaning over to mold that grin into a stern frown. "You always had shit to say whenever I did something you told me not to do, to lord over me with your damn age."

"Then why don't you ever listen to me?"

"Because _I_ decide what path to take!"

"I feel like we've taken such a strong leap away from what you came in here, for. As you can see, I'm pretty tired…"

"Are we still friends?" Sanji asked, fiddling with his nails. "After last night?"

"Depends. It's your choice."

"I knew you'd say that. You're never exactly that helpful. But what happens now?"

"Depends on what you want to do with your life."

Sanji took a few moments to answer, fiddling with the ring. "I want my own world. I want to make my own choices. If I want something, then I'm going to go after it. Within reason. Nothing drastic. I want to make my own path. I don't want to do something someone wants me to do. I want a wife with one kid and a house with a white picket fence, a dog named Momo, a cat named Jack, and maybe a payment plan on 100 inch wide television set."

"I see your kid goals are lowering."

"I don't want to run around in a world where everyone's plotting to shoot each other in the back over power and territory. I want to finish my street battles by the end of high school, find my true love, marry, and…that's it."

"Goals are nice to have," Law said, closing his eyes and leaning back against his pillow. Sanji leaned over him as Bepo looked at them with his mouth open.

"I want you to be there, too," he said low.

Law looked at him, a little surprised that he was so close. "Like a servant?"

"As a _friend_. We can rely on each other, right?"

"I guess."

"But you never had the same goals as I did. In fact, you never talked about them. What do you want in life, Law?"

He shrugged.

Sanji reached out and pinched his nose shut, so when Law opened his mouth to breathe, Sanji leaned over and blew into his mouth, causing him to push him away.

" _Sick_."

"Do you realize how gay that was? Remember we used to do that to each other when we were fighting at your place?" Sanji asked, snorting.

Law chuckled, revisiting the memory. "We were pretty gay as kids."

"You're pretty gay, now."

" _You're_ gay."

"You're gay _er_."

"Why are you leaning over me like you're going to kiss me, then?"

"Because I am."

Sanji kissed him lightly, pulling up with a smile as he waited for Law's reaction. Law reached out and grabbed him, forcing him down to kiss him. Sanji returned it, closing his eyes and sinking over him, enjoying the feel of the man's hands on his head, the feel of his fingers through his hair. It truly was a huge difference from kissing Nami, and he wondered why he didn't feel the sparks with her that he felt with him. Maybe because it was forbidden, maybe because it was the adventure of the moment, but when he felt Law's tongue against his lips, he opened his mouth and sucked it into his, hearing him hum with satisfaction. The sound went straight to Sanji's blood, and he sucked it with the amount of strength he knew he liked, determined to show him that he was good at this. When he released it, he chased his tongue back to his mouth, and Law repeated the action to him – only gentler, smoothly, and Sanji felt light headed because his blood was rushing to his head and he could feel himself responding to the moment; he wanted more, but he didn't know what exactly he wanted. He grew embarrassed, pulling away with a huff of air as his skin grew too hot and his skin flushed with nervous arousal. He exhaled shakily, uncomfortable with the entire thing, but because he liked it too much. He yanked away to sit at the edge of the bed once more, feeling how hot and flushed his face was. Even his ears were red.

"You gave me your gay cooties."

"I told you I'm a vampire."

Sanji snickered, then looked at Bepo with a start, having forgotten he was there.

Law licked his lips and then pulled them between his teeth. He felt so uncomfortable with himself at the moment. With everything he'd done in life, he hadn't expected to do something like this – he wasn't sure with himself whether he wanted the teen close to experiment on, or because he'd missed their friendship. It was so different, now. He couldn't relate to the kid on an outside level, but at the same time, he recognized a physical hunger between them. He felt he could relax and let the situation flow, and didn't feel any pressure to be anything other than what he was at this moment. He could sit back and volley all of Sanji's childish things, and know that there wasn't anything else behind them. The kid enjoyed teasing him with his way, just as much as Law liked teasing him back. It was just like old times, except different – _much_ different.

He wasn't for certain whether this was a good thing. He would have to think about it later.

"I've still got some things to do before we're chased away, again."

Sanji shrugged it off, looking at the ring once more. 'True Love Waits' seemed like such a lie. But then he thought about how he was waiting for true love – maybe what he had with Nami wasn't love, but a friendship with potential. Maybe if he kept doing what he was doing, she would look at him differently.

He then looked at Law with a frown. He leaned back over, picking up his hand. "Hold this for me," he said, slipping it onto his pinkie. "I'll want it back, one day."

"Just throw it away."

"You're my backup husband," Sanji said with a snicker. "If I can't convince Nami to look at me another way, you're my backup."

"I refuse."

"Besides, it'll probably do you some good, you sex fiend. The next time you try and creep off with some woman, you look at this and tell yourself – is the STD worth it?"

"Deal. But you put it on the wrong finger. When you're proposing, you need to slip it onto the _left_ ring finger," Law said dryly, wiggling that finger.

Sanji made a face, chuckling. "You're _so_ gay! Well, whatever, just hold it for me! I saw the state of your kitchen – it was like walking back through time. I'll freeze some dinner for you guys, I'll bring you meals before I go to the restaurant. And if you need anything, with reason, then I'll do what I can to provide. Okay?"

"I refuse to play house with you at this age."

"I'm only doing it because you make me feel funny in my no-no places."

Law laughed loudly, Sanji joining in moments later, Bepo looking at them with such concern that his head tilted, ears twitching.

"You are so _stupid_! Why do I hang out with you?"

"Because I make you. For whatever reason," Sanji said, grinning wide. He then grabbed his wrapped hand and bit his fingers, causing Law to shove him away. "It's a deal, then. I'll text you if I ever get my phone back. But other than that, I'll come by tomorrow with the first part of my end."

"Which end?"

"Whatever that means, bastard," Sanji said with a wide grin, leaving the room with a wave.

Sitting there in silence, Law heard front door open and slam shut. He bit his lip, tasting the teen's spit there. That race of excitement and cheer he still felt made his stomach flutter with unidentifiable feeling. Bepo looked at him, sitting down carefully on the chair before pulling his laptop back to his lap.

"Bepo. I'm gay for that kid, aren't I?"

"You're a flaming homo for him, senpai," Bepo answered easily.


	7. Chapter 7

**Musical Bear: haha yeah zeff's whole situation with the brothers isn't done, yet they'll keep on colliding until the end, and even finely tuned systems fail (usually bc of luffy haha)**

 **Guest: we shall see!**

 **Showihd1: the daddies fight ccontinues! Not in this chapter but in later chapters, and some of the things you mentioned will show up (oh noes) Both of the guys still flirt with potential but it'll explode soon as they continue to toe the waters ;D**

 **Chapter Seven:**

… **If You Go Chasing Rabbits**

The next day, Nami held his hand and walked along beside him, licking delicately at her ice cream cone. He carried a bag with four meal boxes in them, and she was with him because she'd just finished making her street deliveries. Nami had been on an ice cream kick despite the wintery cold conditions, and while most of the snow had finally melted, the skies were dark with an incoming storm.

"Sanji, you guys aren't really planning on going on Saturday, are you?" she asked, stepping around a dangerous looking ice pile in the sidewalk. She was cold, but not that cold, her ice cream in perfect condition as she enjoyed it. In her heavy green jacket, her hood outlined with fake fur, the color brought out the orange in her hair and the cold left her cheeks with a soft flush. Sanji was pretty happy with his position at her side, smiling goofily because she was gorgeous and she wasn't afraid to hold his hand in front of everybody.

"Yeah. We have it mapped out," he said, looking at his watch with a grimace. "When we turn in our money for the week, Luffy will talk to Arlong. From there, what happens, happens."

"Stupid," she muttered, taking a bite off the top. "All of you are stupid."

"We just want you safe, dear."

"There's another way of going about it. I'm sure if we waited just a bit more, we'd find a solution," she said, throwing her cone away in a nearby trashcan. She reached over to adjust the purse she wore, where it bulged slightly with her White Rabbit supply. "I wish you guys weren't so damn impulsive!"

"At the end of it, us guys want to fight. There's no talking us out of it."

"Ugh, I hate that I even said anything to you at all," she said, reaching out and opening the door because his hands were full. They walked into the coffee shop, where they were immediately greeted by a polar bear in yellow overalls. She yelped in surprise and drew up against Sanji, clutching his hand tightly as she looked for any indication in that he was rabid, or some sort.

"This is Bepo," Sanji said. "Bepo, Nami."

The bear waved, and Nami waved back with some nervousness as Sanji drew her after him, going up to the counter.

"The city codes allow a bear inside such establishments?" she questioned, looking after him, noting that the tables were set up with patrons enjoying light snacks, hot drinks, and Wi-Fi. A majority of them were women, save for one guy that kept looking at the counter with an awestruck expression.

Sanji released her hand and pulled up his bag, Penguin and Shachi looking at him suspiciously from a music poster they'd marked up with a pen. Law was sitting on his usual stool near the food display, a scowl on his face as he played with a straw and a plastic top, the sound absolutely annoying everyone around him as he pushed it back and forth. His hand was still wrapped, and he looked a lot better than he did the day before. Wearing his hat low with his work uniform and salt stained sneakers that were propped up on the counter, the customers nearest him were trying to appreciate the picture, but the sound he made with the items in hand were killing ear drums within the entire shop.

"As promised, I brought your dinner," Sanji said cheerfully, as Nami smiled at the three of them, leaning on the counter with her elbows and examining what faces she could. The two baristas standing near the register wore winter hats, one with a pom-pom atop, red hair sticking out, and the other with a black hat with ear muffs. They didn't match the yellow overalls that the bear was wearing. "And this is Nami, my, um, friend from school."

"Fuck buddy?" Penguin asked, unmoving.

" _Special_ friend?" Shachi added, leaning against the register.

Nami's smile froze, and she looked at Sanji with wide eyed horror.

"It's obvious neither of you know how to behave properly in a female's presence due to lack of game, so I'll forgive you for your ass-ery," Sanji said, ignoring their leers. Seeing that he wasn't reacting, Nami relaxed, thinking that this behavior was normal between them.

"Har, har, you're so funny."

"So these are the three losers you were talking about?" Nami asked curiously, peering up at Penguin's face because she could barely see it. All she saw was a thin nose and lips currently curled with distaste. She reached out to move his hat, but he jerked away. Shachi was wearing sunglasses, so she had no idea what his eyes were saying to her, the polarized lenses protecting whatever he hid behind them. "The ones you were trying to set up with your college friends? I say ditch the effort. There's no saving desperation."

"Hah, high school jailbait, you can't insult us. We've been weathered against such down talk through _years_ of serious training," Shachi said, sneering at her. "Insults bounce right off us!"

"Poor things, you're part of the fedora club so it must hurt knowing no girl in her right mind would look your way," she murmured. "None of you have what it takes to capture a pretty flower like me. I'm a white rose blooming in a garden full of marigolds and mums."

"I have never worn a fedora, and I'm deathly allergic to flowers."

"Then show me your face!"

"You're not worthy of seeing my face."

"I bet you wear eyeliner. That's why you're so covered up. Emo."

"I'm not emo! That trend is long gone, girlfriend!"

"You wish I was!"

"No, I don't!"

"Then stop looking at my boobs."

" _I'm not even_!"

"Pervert," Nami retorted, clutching her jacket tightly and leaning against Sanji, who grinned because he knew she was only messing with him.

"I'm not looking at your boobs!" Shachi cried, then reddened when everyone looked in his direction with a start. He sank below the counter while Nami grinned victoriously, sticking her tongue out and pointing at him.

Penguin tried not to laugh, but he ended up sputtering as Shachi glared at him, crouching on the floor.

"This is the snack box," Sanji said, unloading it from the bag, twitching as the sound of straw against plastic started to grate on his nerves. He looked at Law, who seemed to not care about the irritated expressions being turned his way. "And these three are your dinners. I have exactly three sets. If you have these cleaned and ready by tomorrow when I drop off those dishes, then I can have another meal delivered to you by the next."

"I'm _not_ going to enjoy this," Shachi said haughtily, standing up and opening up the snack box. Despite his vow, he and Penguin immediately began picking out and eating different varieties of sandwiches and sliced snack meats with crackers. "In fact, everything looks fucking disgusting."

"Hopefully dinner doesn't look like this slop. This is only fit for pigeons. I'm only eating it because I'm not a rude person," Penguin said with a mouthful of sandwiches.

"For a slave, you're not very good at your job," Shachi said with a sneer.

"I am no one's slave!" Sanji snapped, glaring at Law for that one.

"Sanji… _why_?" Nami asked him, clearly unable to understand their prickly attitudes. She straightened away from the counter to fiddle with her bag, adjusting the crossbody strap over her chest as she looked up at her friend.

"I feel sorry for them. I saw the state of their apartment yesterday. They're surviving on Capri-suns and cookies from the market down the street."

"Nothing beats those cookies," Shachi said, cheeks full. "Don't knock them until you try them. And this tastes like crap. Why are you poisoning us?"

Sanji looked at Law, but the older man was looking off in the other direction with an indifferent expression. Sanji stared at him with bewilderment, then felt his temper rise and burst. He leaned over the counter and snatched the straw and top from Law's hands, throwing them on the floor.

"I made a different box for you, ass. I know you hate bread," he said, pulling out a smaller box, opening it to reveal edamame, fish sausage and mayo, with a small jar of specially brewed tea packed neatly inside. Both Penguin and Shachi looked at it, then looked at Law for a reaction.

" _Disgusting_ ," Law muttered as his lip curled. "Is that a synthetic casing, or animal casing? Because both of them taste like shit. Why are you even bringing that shit in here, shit kid? Smells like ass."

"Hella ass!" Shachi and Penguin said, fighting over it. Nami watched them stretch and reach over each other as they pulled the sausage apart, eating their share with rather determined expressions.

Sanji scowled at him, wondering why the sudden change in attitude from yesterday. He then let it go because Law had always given him a hard time.

"Why do you even bother with these assholes, Sanji? What's so good about them? They're obviously ungrateful shit heads," Nami snapped, prickling at the tone and expression Law used to address her friend. "Hell with you, you good-looking bastard! What do you know about Sanji's cooking, anyway? Anybody would be delighted to have him make dinner for them! I hope you guys choke on his food."

"I hope not," Sanji said with a little bit of worry, looking at his watch. "I don't want anyone thinking it was my cooking that did them in. Anyway, save the boxes! I'll be back tomorrow to drop of tomorrow's dinner."

"How about if you don't?" Law asked.

" _Please don't_!" Shachi and Penguin snapped, but Nami frowned at them, because while they said one thing, their tear-filled expressions and body language said otherwise. She was amused, suddenly realizing that there was a show in front of her, and it all stemmed from the man sitting nearby, glaring at Sanji.

"Ah, I get it," she then said brightly, looking at the pair. "You followers are under some unspoken order to treat Sanji babe like shit because shit head here has threatened you with some retaliation if you make him feel good with positive responses to his hard efforts!"

" _No_!" they said, nodding furiously.

She clapped with delight, lightening up now that she knew what was happening.

While she stood there, Bepo walked over, examining her bag with a tilt of his head. The bear straightened, putting a paw on Nami's shoulder while looking at Law, the action startling the teen as she looked up at him with surprise.

"What's your problem?" Sanji asked Law over this exchange. "Your attitude is pissing me off."

Law flipped him off with his good hand.

Sanji felt himself unravel, blood boiling as he slammed the bag onto the counter and looked for something to throw or use as weapon. He ended up pounding on the counter with his palms instead. Nami stared at him, because she'd never seen him get so angry, unless he and Zoro were fighting with each other. "Oh, grow up! You fucking jerk!"

Law then straightened up from his stool, leaning over the counter and snatching Nami's purse from her, much to her horror.

"Give that back!" she protested, reaching after it, Sanji giving him a look of dismay as Law opened it and dumped the contents onto the floor. When all the white pills piled up at Penguin's boots, Law tossed the bag back at Nami, the teen red-faced and near tears with shame as she snatched it back.

" _Jerk_! What are you doing?" she hissed, trying not to cause a scene as a few customers looked their way with interest. Sanji looked horrified, hardly able to react.

Shachi crouched, picking up a couple of the pills. He examined the faint markings on the wrapping. "Hey, isn't this Arlong's stash? What are you doing with so much of it?"

"Give it back to me! That's none of your business!" she hissed, climbing onto the counter, much to the customers' curiosity, attention turned their way.

Between his fingers, Shachi crushed a pill within its packaging, shaking his head. "Sloppy. Look at the way the powder has a faint yellow sheen to it, and it's not even completely dried all the way through. This is a dirty pile. How many people were sent to the hospital this week, shitty kids?"

Hands to her red face, Nami looked to Sanji for help.

"If you're going to sell, at least sell a better product!" Law finally said, speaking up with a grumble as he sat back down, propping his feet up on the shelves nearby while Penguin hastily swept up the pile with a dustpan and hand broom. "This product is shit. Quit your boss and find somebody else to serve."

"You're horrible!"

"What's so horrible about it? You have a damn choice. Tell him to fuck off."

"No I don't!" Nami protested, eyes welling up with tears.

"You cry on my counter, you clean it up."

The tears were gone in an instant, replaced by an angry expression. "Ugh, you're such an asshole! If I don't have the money for that, he's going to kill me!"

"Then you shouldn't have gone into business with him in the first place. You knew what he was when you strolled up onto his property."

"Why are you acting like such an ass?" Sanji asked, incredulously.

"I don't appreciate kids bringing their shit into this shop. Get the fuck out."

"He's going to kill me if I don't bring back the money that should have been made off of that!" Nami growled, grabbing the napkin dispenser and throwing it at Law. He merely tilted his head to avoid impact. "Give it back!"

"How much are you expected to bring back from the sale of that?"

"It's fifty each!"

" _Fifty_ for one?" Penguin exclaimed, Shachi looking horrified. "For that price, you can buy two from Jango, plus a dime bag. No wonder you're losing customers on this side of town!"

Shachi then snorted, dumping antibacterial goo into his hands next to the register. "Of course, Jango's supply is a little more mild, and causes hallucinations, which is why he sells a dime bag with the package. Off sets the symptoms."

"And you're supposed to sell all of this crap, the seven of you? What is the success rate of a winning battle under the influence?" Law asked her, shushing Sanji with a raised finger his direction.

"About seventy-five percent!" Nami answered, red-faced.

"Are all your buyers high schoolers? What makes Arlong's stash better than the others?"

"Mostly high schoolers, yes! Because fishmen recipes are supposed to give human bodies the strength of a fishman – "

"Have you used it yourself?"

"I don't fight."

"Then why sell something you're not even willing to take yourself?"

"She doesn't have, to, jerk!" Sanji snapped at him. "Quit making the situation worse!"

"If you're going to sell a product, shouldn't you advertise it and stand faithfully behind it, guaranteeing it's worth to interested buyers?" Law snapped back, gesturing at the two who were sipping out of their brand mugs at that moment.

" _Posers_ ," Nami said with a sneer.

"Have either of you taken it to guarantee that it works?"

"No, none of us have," Nami said, jumping down from the counter and snatching the full dustpan from Penguin's grasp. She unloaded it back into her purse, then slapped him with it. "None of us have to! None of us were pressured to do so!"

"So you're quite willing to sell a faulty product to classmates, knowing that they could overdose and die because he threatened you with death – and this is fine with your conscious?"

" _No_ ," Nami answered with frustration. "No, I hate it! I hate doing it, but he threatened to kill me and my family! What are we supposed to do against fishmen?"

" _Weak_. If you can't even stand up for yourself, how do you expect others to stand up for you?"

She squelched a rising sound of distress, looking at Sanji.

Sanji leapt over the counter and leaned over him with a growl. "You're taking it too far! Who the fuck are you to say shit like this? Just because you're older? Because you're a fucking expert?"

"Give me one of them," Law then ordered Nami, palm out.

"Uh, how about we not do this in the middle of a full shop?" Shachi asked, looking around them as people watched the scene play out with interest.

" _Give me one_!"

Nami hastily took out a pill, looking at Sanji for help. But she slapped it down into that outstretched palm, and he unwrapped it, Penguin and Shachi looking at him with utter horror.

"Not _now_!" Penguin exclaimed.

"How else can you verify the product's worth if you don't test it out for yourself?" Law snapped. "You're selling this to classmates at fifty a pop, and you're fine with it because Arlong said a few pretty words to you. You know that you're putting kids into the hospital just to win a damn fight, and you don't feel any guilt at all?"

" _I do_! Every damn day and every damn pill I sell, I feel guilt!" Nami snapped at him, feeling Penguin and Shachi leaning over her as they all watched him throw the plastic wrapping to the side. Before he could take it, she reached out and snatched it from him. " _Don't_! Don't eat it, you didn't even pay for it! If he thinks I've short changed him, he's going to kill me!"

"Then tell him that I did it. I'll even send you along with a business card with my personal phone number on it," he said, rising from the stool, snatching her hand and taking the pill back. He took it, much to the horror of the teens and the two men that stood with shocked expressions, and the customer that had entered the shop long ago and was drawn in to the drama playing behind the counter.

Shachi hastily whipped out a notepad from his overalls, snagging a pen from the cup nearby, ready to take notes.

"Ugh, aspirin taste, slow to dissolve, and it's caught in my throat," Law reported with a disgusted face, coughing a couple of times. Nami and Sanji hugged each other tightly, looking up at him with horror as Penguin cringed, visibly fretting. "Heart rate's accelerated only minimally, there's a slight sharpness to my vision – there's a metallic aftertaste that's only making my tongue and mouth itch. Ugh, this is disgusting. I don't even feel any acceleration of strength to any of my limbs. It's definitely just a caffeine rush."

He punched out at Penguin, who stumbled with a shocked noise, rubbing the area with a look of dismay. "There isn't any strength or speed when I react, and I'm only dizzy because I'd stood up too fast and aggravated my sensitive low blood pressure."

"' _Sensitive'_ ," Shachi scoffed, writing furiously.

"Nope. Feels like I've straight shotted Red Bull with a couple of No-Doze. There's nothing special about these pills, and you're selling them to your damn classmates!" Law ended, looking at Sanji and Nami with near black pupils and a slight twitch of his mouth. "It's no damn wonder you kids drop like flies when you take this shit! You go back to Arlong and tell him I said his stash is shit."

"Your speech is slurring, your jaw is tensing up, and when you move, it's not that coordinated," Shachi reported. "Your pupils are expanded beyond normal dilation, and you're starting to turn red, sweating. Plus, your breathing has accelerated to a pant, so maybe you should go in the back and sit down."

"I feel overly aggressive, so maybe I should."

Penguin grabbed Sanji and Nami, quickly pulling them out and away from the counter while Shachi continued writing, following after Law as he kicked the door open and walked into the back, breathing heavily while his face and neck turned red. Penguin then turned around and gave the frozen patrons of the shop a weak chuckle.

"The newest semester of med school just began, and he just received notification that there's a mid-term coming up before he's even prepared! You know how those med-school guys are – good for us, right?" he said with a wince. "We want them paying attention to detail and stressed out over their textbooks! Er, free coffee for everyone for the disturbance."

"I'll help," Nami said hastily as Sanji broke away from them and hurried to the back, watching with shocked action as Shachi dropped his notebook and hastily locked Law into a storage closet, leaning up against it as the man's drug-induced rage caused him to snarl and hit at various things around him. White faced, Sanji shut the back door behind him so that the disturbance wouldn't bother the patrons who were taking up Penguin's offer for free coffee.

Shachi reached for his notepad and pen, calling out, "What else is happening? _Focus_!"

"High, _high_ levels of aggression –" the sound of things being destroyed causing both of them to cringe, " – face is numb – hands are numb – everything's numb – "

"It sounds like you're clenching your jaw! _Focus_! What else?" Shachi asked, writing quickly. "Try and take slower breaths! Bite into the collar of your uniform, dude! You're grinding your teeth!"

"Will he be okay?" Sanji asked, wide-eyed and worried as they heard more things crashing to the ground.

"You take note of this, kid. This is what you're selling to your friends," Shachi said with a frown in his direction. "What's your heart rate? Law? Take a count!"

" _Can't_!"

" _Think_! What else is happening to you?"

"I think I'm coming down, now. But my hands are shaking too hard. Vision's blurry. Talking is hard."

"You're slurring heavily, dude. I can _barely_ understand you. Breathe slowly through your mouth. Sit down on the ground, back against the wall. Hands on your head," Shachi instructed, writing a few more notes. "Legs out in front of you. Count the seconds it takes for you to come down. Kid, what time is it, now?"

When Sanji told him, he winced because he was well beyond the time he should've been at the restaurant. When Zeff texted him at that moment, he bit his lip, citing traffic issues with the Uber driver.

"This was barely over three minutes," Shachi reported. "That's not very long. That's probably it's selling worth because it's quick to work and relies on more than one serving to actually work."

"Shit stash. Rate this one 1 star."

"I'm going to give it a _half_ star because of the duration period and the onset of aggression symptoms," Shachi said, lowering his notebook. "I hope you didn't break your hand again."

"I did. I'm feeling sensation returning to all limbs. Adrenaline level has dropped well beyond normal levels."

"Get the orange juice from the fridge!" Shachi then directed Sanji, who hastily did as he asked. "What else is happening?"

"I have a stabbing headache in front, my eyes feel as if they were bulging right out of my damn skull, I'm tasting that powdery metallic taste again, mostly in my sinuses. Heart rate is returning to normal, jaw is sore, vision is blurry."

After Shachi wrote down his words, he rose up from the door, taking the orange juice that Sanji held out. When the redhead unlocked and opened the door, Law was sitting in the back of the storage room, hands on his head, looking as if he'd just run a marathon. Shachi tossed him the juice with a shake of his head, Sanji watching with worry.

Law frowned at him, his wrapped hand cradled against his chest. Holding onto the orange juice, he rose shakily from the floor as Shachi surveyed the mess of fallen shelves, broken bags of coffee, shattered mugs. With some effort, Law approached Sanji slowly, Shachi quickly reaching out and grabbing his good arm, just in case.

"This is what you're selling. On a younger body, don't you think it'd have a more terrible effect?" he asked him.

Sanji stared up at him with silent horror, unable to say anything.

"Get that stash away from that girl and get rid of it," Law then told Shachi, who nodded and quickly left the back room to comply. Law shoved the orange juice at Sanji. "Open this, punk."

Sanji did so with shaking hands, his phone ringing at that moment. He ignored it, handing the container back to him. Law took it, drinking some before dropping it with disgust. "Ugh, this stuff is going to make everything taste bad."

"This is what you do?" Sanji asked timidly. "You just take it to judge the effectiveness?"

"It's important to know your enemy."

"That star system you mentioned with Shachi, that's based on potency?" Sanji asked curiously, thinking of the one he'd taken from their apartment. They were giving Arlong's stash a half star, so the full five meant that it was a definite winner.

"We rate their worth, yes, from each manufacturer. That's nothing you should be concerned about. Stop selling this crap."

"But if I don't, Arlong will kill me and my family!" Nami said, entering the room at that moment, clutching her emptied purse. "I _have_ to! I'm sorry it had such a bad effect on you, but I can't do anything about it!"

"Arlong is a lot of talk. He won't touch you, or your family. He's manipulating you, you unthinking cow."

"Don't call her names, you bastard, she's not a threat to you!" Sanji snapped at him, kicking his shin and making him wince. "She's scared and she was manipulated into the situation. If you have shit to say, say it to me, stop picking on her."

Law rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

"Look, if you have a better suggestion, then give it to me," Nami said, glaring at him. "I'm open to ideas. I'd rather hear something smarter than what these guys plan on doing, Saturday."

"What are you doing Saturday?"

"These nimrods think that they can storm onto Arlong's property and beat them up," Nami declared, shaking her head.

Law looked at Sanji, who was frowning at her before he realized the weight of that stare Law was giving him.

"All you have to do is ask," Law told him.

" _We_ can do this," Sanji said assuredly. "We're going to do it."

Law reached out and ensnared his hair within his good hand, dropping his juice to do it. Much to Nami's horrified expression, he shook Sanji with a frustrated growl, then shoved him away.

" _Think_ about what Zeff told you, stupid! You think charging in on Arlong at this point in time is a smart idea? Don't you fucking get what you're doing? If you charge in to fight the fishmen for this stupid girl, it's not going to be seen as something you're doing independently! You're doing it on the behalf of Zeff!" Law snapped at him, growing furious. "You're bringing unrest into the syndicates with your pathetic action!"

"This is about _Nami_ , not about Zeff!" Sanji snapped back. "This is has nothing to do with Zeff!"

"You're his grandson charging in on somebody else's property to cause harm on the behalf of a girl's life, and despite all his efforts in keeping you out of this world, you're running right into it! You do that, you cause Arlong's allies to reconsider Zeff's place in the world, and he has to do some fast talking to bandage the wound to keep his position. Think about it, you little shit. _Think_!"

"Sanji, what is he talking about?" Nami asked Sanji, looking at him with wide eyes.

"Your girlfriend doesn't know about that? You're a fucking joke."

"Shut up!"

"Look, it's none of my business if you want to charge in and play cowboy, but you obviously didn't think of the consequences that can come with it. I told you to ask me for help, I've no association with anybody out there. Since you want to go out and act a fool, then go do it. When is this supposed showdown supposed to happen?"

"Saturday morning."

Law glared at him for a few moments, then shook his head. "Get out of here, you little fuck. You piss me off. And don't ever bring that shit back here again, girl. In fact, both of you are banned from here."

"You can't ban us - !" Nami exclaimed.

"I own the place. I can, too."

"Since _when_?" Sanji asked.

"Fuck off. Both of you."

"Sanji, let's go, Zeff will be looking for you," Nami then said, reaching for his hand. With a huff, she dragged him towards the exit, kicking the push-bar in. "Thanks a lot, jerk! And wait til Sunday morning! When you see the paper of Arlong's demise, you'll regret saying everything that you said!"

"I'll look in the obituary section for your dumbasses," Law scoffed, crossing his arms. When they left, he growled, kicking a nearby chair.

"What was that about?" Nami asked Sanji, as they waited for their Uber a block away.

"It's…long. I'll text you. But, uh…I don't want to think about it, right now."

Nami frowned at him, but she had her arms tightly crossed over chest with apprehension. Forehead furrowed, she tightened her lips and decided to find out for herself what it all meant.

Later on that day, when Sanji took a break in Zeff's office, the older man sitting at his desk with dark looks at his bandaged hand, he saw that his phone was blowing up with angry texts from Law. Since most of them consisted of telling him that he was stupid for making such a decision, Sanji felt the pot was calling the kettle black. He texted back with such points, until he received the middle finger emoji in reply. He wanted to ask if he were okay, scared after what he'd witness earlier today, but he felt that if he did so, Law would make fun of him. So it was safer if he remained 'unconcerned'.

'You're such a shitty brat!' he texted Law with a tight frown. 'I'm doing what I feel is right!'

'It's not. Die.'

'You die! And if I see your dead body first, I'm going to write 'homo' on your forehead.'

'I'll come back from the dead and write it on yours until the day you actually die.'

'I'll follow you through the afterlife and say it until you're reincarnated.'

'When I'm reincarnated, I'll bring you back with me and you'll have it as a birthmark.'

'I'll find you again in that life and write homo on your forehead until you die.'

'I'll just repeat the entire process we've already made in this life with yours.'

'you really are a homo.'

'You are!'

'you!1!'

'YOU!1!'

"Oh my god, what am I doing?" Sanji asked himself aloud, throwing his head back in exasperation.

Zeff frowned at him from nearby, pointedly looking at his phone, so Sanji deleted all of Law's texts with a guilty look, and resumed looking at Instagram, but Doffy hadn't posted anything lately.

'I've screenshotted everything,' Law then texted him. 'I'll send them to zeff.'

'omg, y?'

'On 1 condition.'

'FINE.'

'Don't die.'

Sanji couldn't help but grin, realizing Zeff was frowning at him suspiciously. Quickly, he brought up his Instagam feed to show him a Vine of a boy racing against time, only to smack face first into a streetlamp. Zeff just stared at him until Sanji looked back down at his phone, made a screenshot of his texts, and deleted them again. He saved the screenshot to look over later in an app that was supposed to be a calculator, but actually hid private files in plain sight, just in case Zeff tried to snoop.

'G2g work.'

When he didn't receive a reply, he deleted that as well, Zeff staring at him in stiff silence.

"Who are you texting?"

"Nami," he replied quickly. "Telling her that the Uber driver she'd called was a psycho."

"Right." Zeff let it go, because the kid always smiled that goofy smile whenever Nami came up in the conversation. There was no way Sanji would behave that way with anyone else.

When Sanji texted Nami later that evening, he didn't tell her what Law had been saying to him. She chewed on a fingernail tip, lowering her phone to her lap. She then left her room, noticing that Bellemere was watching some sort of athletic game on tv, and Nojiko was watching makeup tutorials on the family computer. She grabbed her jacket and left the house, shouting, "I'm going over to Vivi's!"

Once outside, she began running, holding her phone tight against her chest.

At the coffee shop, Penguin and Shachi were battling each other with a broom and a mop, re-enacting a Star Wars scene, much to the amusement of a couple of customers sitting near the windows. The bear was enraptured by what looked like a bear documentary, and there was no sign of Law. She kicked the mop bucket at the right time, causing Penguin to fall over it, spilling dirty water everywhere while Shachi hastily caught himself and jerked away.

"Hey! Didn't you see the new sign?" he asked, pointing at the doorway. Nami turned and saw that there was a rather crude drawing of her taped to the window, causing her to shake her head. "Kids are banned!"

"I have questions. Where's the other guy?" she asked, arms crossed firmly over her chest. "I want to talk to someone that actually knows what's happening, not two losers who'd rather play with each other than with the cute girl giggling in the corner over there."

" _Girl_?" They said in unison, looking in the direction Nami was pointing. Sure enough, the woman in question blushed after being called out, but instead of behaving suavely, the two of them fumbled with their cleaning tools, making an even bigger mess than before.

"He went home. Thank god, because he was pissing me off. I was this close to knocking him out," Shachi said, holding index and thumb fingers just a breath apart.

"Yeah, right. Anyway, what about it, girl? Are you here to follow up with your bad stash?" Penguin asked her, sopping wet.

"Can you guys please take all that head stuff off? I'd rather look a man in the face than pervert glasses and a hat brim," she then said, walking up to a table nearest them and sitting atop of it. "It's really rude that you don't."

"We kinda don't care what high school girls think – "

"You think Sanji babe has many college girl friends?" Nami asked, waving her phone. " _I'm_ a chick. I have _way_ more contacts that he does. In fact, let's make a deal. I'll text one of my older friends to come over to meet you two, and you tell me how I can talk to your boss."

"Why do you want to talk to him? He doesn't want to talk to you."

"Because I'm interested in the offer he gave us, today. Now that Sanji's at work, I can actually work this stupid Arlong thing into a more manageable situation, so my friends don't get hurt."

"Wait," Shachi said, pushing Penguin's head aside as Penguin made to speak. "What's this friend look like?"

Nami held up her phone, showing off a recent photo of Robin and Boa Hancock at a recent get together. Both men blushed and looked easily agreeable when she tapped on Robin's voluptuous form. "This is my friend, Robin. She's a college babe, she's single, and she loves meeting new people. She especially loves coffee. I don't think she's heard of this place. I'm sure she'd love a spot of coffee."

"Prove it," Shachi said.

Half hour later, Robin walked into the coffee shop with an amused expression, wearing her tightest jeans and showing off her shape with a tightly belted winter jacket. Both men promptly lost coordination of themselves, Penguin overflowing an espresso cup and Shachi dropping a travel mug before a customer's outstretched hand.

Nami grinned, looking up from her Facebook as Robin looked at her with a smile, flicking her straight hair from her face. "Thanks, girl. I knew I could count on you!"

"I've never heard of this place," Robin said cheerily. "Is it new?"

Nami looked at the closest barista, but both of them were hiding behind the counter with nervous expressions, their customers looking at them with irritated frowns. "Get out from there! You're grown men! Now it's your turn to honor your part of the deal!"

" 'Deal'?" Robin repeated with that same amused smile.

"They didn't believe me in that I have such a hot, _single_ friend," Nami stressed, tucking her hair behind her ear. "I'm trying to apply here for winter break, but in order to do that I have to talk to their boss. And they refused to get him on the line because I'm still underage."

"Ah, so you're using me as leverage? I'm game," Robin said, walking up to the line, where a flustered man stepped aside to let her stand in front of him.

Nami followed her, then leaned over the glass display, almost knocking over the candy jars. "Now, pay up!"

"Fine," Shachi muttered, digging out his phone. "But don't get mad if he doesn't answer or gives you shit. He was pretty mad this afternoon. Not even Bepo could pull him out of it."

They all watched as the bear rose from his table, head hanging. "I'm sorry."

" _You can talk_?" Penguin and Shachi screeched in unison, looking shocked.

Nami shifted away from the counter as the line rung on Shachi's phone. When she heard, "You have five seconds," she growled.

"Listen here, jerk, I'm back at the shop. Sanji is at work. Let's make a deal," she said quickly, annoyed that she actually listened to the warning.

"Are you playing with helium again?"

"No! This is Nami! As I said, let's make a deal. My idiot friends are intending on killing themselves on Arlong's property. You said you'd help – can you please do something to stop them?"

"I don't negotiate with terrorists."

At the sound of him hanging up, Nami growled. She redialed the number, and was annoyed when it went straight to voicemail. So she found the message option, and quickly typed out a text. After sending it, she snooped through Shachi's phone. She found his porn stash, noted a strange forum board that required a password, and pulled up his Facebook icon. She snooped through that, giggling at some of his reposts, searched and sent a friend request to herself, and wrote a few incriminating things on his Facebook timeline before Law responded.

'That's for Sanji to ask of me, IDC about the rest of you,' was all he wrote, followed by a middle finger emoji.

Nami growled, reddening before she rapidly texted, 'So should I tell zeff of their plans?'

When she heard Robin laughing, she looked over, watching as she charmed the two men with just her presence. She sneered at them, then growled impatiently, shaking the phone around. She was buying various sex toys on Shachi's Amazon app and sending them to the saved mailing address when she heard close to her, "Your boys can fight all they want. If they want to prove themselves as men, who's to stop them?"

Nami shrieked in surprise, startling everybody in the shop.

Shachi and Penguin hastily pulled away from the counter and attempted to look busy, Robin looking back at her with a puzzled expression.

"Where'd you come from?" Nami asked, looking at Law with shock. She did notice that Bepo was missing.

"Let them figure out the consequences of playing games with adults. If you continue to doubt their abilities, then do something for them yourself," Law said sternly, clad in Ninja Turtle pj pants, a black hooded sweater with the hood on, house slippers, and glasses on. He had fresh bandages wrapped around his hand, a brace in place over that, and he turned around and frowned at the two at the counter while Nami gaped at his pj pants and the flattened heels of his shoes. "What are you two doing?"

Nami's forehead then furrowed, catching sight of a flash of silver. The plain band was fitted on his pinky, but she was pretty sure it was Sanji's. She'd seen him playing with it for most of their life together that she would recognize it anywhere.

"Can you not come out to work looking like you just left the alley after a bad deal?" Shachi asked him, pulling his hat over his glasses.

"Those are mine!" Penguin cried indignantly, then looked embarrassed in admitting that out loud.

"I was just sitting in my underwear watching Netflix, I thought it was considerate to get dressed."

"Agh, don't say that out loud! What's wrong with you?"

"In whose room were you watching Netflix in if you're wearing _his_ pants?" Nami asked, trailing after him with interest.

"You're such a creep!" Penguin cried. "I can't believe I live with you! You're always wearing my clothes!"

"That's because I love you."

"You sick, twisted pervert!"

"It's because you're the only one who does his laundry," Shachi snickered.

"Never mind that. Didn't you see the sign? You're banned from here," Law told Nami.

"I don't like rules. So, should I tell Zeff?" she asked, handing Shachi his phone back. "it shouldn't be that big of a deal, but I know he's already in trouble, I don't want him feeling even worse."

"Is this about Arlong?" Robin asked her curiously.

"Do what you want," Law told her with impatience. He looked back at the other two. "Close up. We're rolling out."

"Whoo hoo!" they cried happily, Shachi closing out the register and Penguin personally approaching customers to start shooing them out.

"Your evening hours are set from five to nine, and it's only seven thirty," Nami pointed out. "Are you going to do something about Arlong?"

"Tell your sister to stop bothering me," Law told Robin before walking away from them.

"Surly, isn't he?" Robin asked, chuckling. "Nami, what is this about?"

"Stupid Luffy, Sanji and Zoro are going to go up to Arlong on Saturday to start shit with him. Trying to cut me out of the deal Arlong has on me," Nami said with frustration. "And this guy said he'd help, but he's not helping. He's going to let it happen."

"Well, what is he?"

"He's Sanji's friend. I don't know why, but Sanji trusts him. He's been an ass the entire time. Sanji said he grew up with him. That's…that's about it – _no_ , Sanji's also very friendly with the Donquixote brothers, and that's _his_ parents. So he's pretty comfortable knowing what syndicates are about and I know he can help, he's just being an ass about it!"

"Father, uncle. They're not married," Law said with irritation.

"I didn't say they were, I just said 'brothers' and 'parents' in the same sentence, so unless you're _Hills Have Eyes_ trash, then it doesn't apply to you!"

"Then don't use it in the same sentence!"

"Did anyone ever tell you how gorgeous you are, even when you're mad?" Nami then asked, grinning up at him as she played with her hair.

"I'm going to stop you right there. You're a child. Therefore, I'm not interested in anything you've got to offer."

"You're playing hard to get! That's okay, I have a lot of patience and charm, and when I'm finally your age, you're going to regret it," Nami promised. Robin smiled at her, then looked at him to see his reaction.

"Sanji thinks so highly of you. I don't know _why_ ," Law said, giving her a look of contempt. "He seems to think you're a couple."

"We're not," she said with exasperation. "We're friends! We've been friends since elementary school. I can't see him in another way. I'm more into older men, if you know what I mean."

"So are you playing with his feelings, then? Typical of a girl coming from poverty conditions – girls like you try harder to obtain things that don't belong to you in order to feel as if you have something you earned on your own. Walk out into traffic and die."

Nami stared at him with stunned insult, Robin frowning at him. Nami wasn't sure if he were being serious or playing hard to get so that he wasn't losing face in front of his friends, so she decided that it was the latter. She beamed, and Robin gave her an impatient look before gesturing at her to follow her.

"I'll continue this later, then," Nami said, digging for her phone in her purse. Once she had it out, she had the camera ready, whipping around and making her most mischievous expression as she tried to keep Law in the background. Once he turned a fraction of her way, she snapped a picture and quickly accepted Shachi's friend request. As she was doing so, she said, "If I have to go to Zeff, I'm going to Zeff. You've been absolutely no help at all, tonight. I came here to help my friends, and you've been nothing but an ass."

"Just get out of here, you're annoying."

"Good night, Robin!" Shachi and Penguin said, holding the door open for her, grinning broadly while Law frowned at them. When Nami turned to say goodbye to them, Penguin closed the door nearly on her heel and locked it. Shachi made a face at her, blowing his lips against the glass. She punched the door, the glass vibrating with ominous cracking noises and causing him to jump back.

"You make interesting friends," Robin said with a laugh. "But what's all the fuss about?"

"The guys want to beat Arlong into the ground! I keep telling them not to! They're fishmen, and Luffy's only a damn sophomore! As the strongest of the bunch, he's got great skill as a fighter, but not enough to beat Arlong! Zoro and Sanji are just as good, but they're going to get killed, Robin! So I'm trying to convince this guy to step in and save them, but I'm not having much luck."

"You wouldn't, silly," Robin said. "It's a very sensitive matter between all of them. Unfortunately, they'll have to learn the hard way what it means to start a fight with men such as Arlong. There's not much you can do about stubborn fools. You can only either support them, or walk away. What should you do?"

"I really want to tell Sanji's grandfather. But he's in so much trouble already."

"What does your heart tell you?"

"At this point, my heart is telling me that that guy back there is my newest wallpaper, and my head is telling me to tell Zeff what is happening."

"Sounds like intense conflict."

"Weren't his friends cute?"

"No.I could not see too much of their faces. They were rather rude, despite their friendly behavior."

"You have to help me out! Go out with one of them! Maybe we can double date?"

"Something tells me that he's not interested, Nami. Why don't you stick with someone your age? Like Zoro?"

"Ew, mosshead? No way. When I sit with him in study hall, he doesn't even look at the girls I point out. I even tried setting him up with a guy's sister, and all he wanted to know is if she did any martial arts. I know no girl that does martial arts. And why Zoro, not Sanji? We fool around a lot," Nami added, looking at her Facebook and seeing that everyone was responding in puzzled action to the post she'd put on Shachi's wall when she was using his phone. She screen shot the comments and the post with a laugh.

"Mm, right. I forgot," Robin said, rolling her eyes lightly. "I know you both try very hard to be in each other's atmosphere, but I don't think you put that much effort into it."

"I like Sanji, Robin, I really do. He is really attractive because he doesn't dress like the other boys, and he tries really hard to make me happy. He's got a lot of potential in bed," Nami said with a giggle. Robin knew all about the situation, as Nami had told her immediately, needing counseling from a trusted friend on whether or not she did the right thing. Robin had given her the best advice she could, but she knew Nami still had some time to mature before she realized what exactly she was looking for. "I'm honestly glad I slept with him after thinking about it. But I can't do that sort of nice, right now. I don't really want a nice guy. I want a guy that's going to take action and make me do things, or say things to me to make it a challenge. I can't wait to show Nojiko this hottie. Every time he insulted me, I felt my heart quiver."

Robin sighed, remembering when she was a teen and found a challenge in any guy that didn't return her attraction. She knew Nami had to learn the hard way, like everyone else.

"Please don't play with Sanji's emotions like this, Nami. It doesn't work in the long run. You're going to hurt him. He cares a lot about you."

"I know he does, and I feel bad for the way I think, but…ugh, you're right. I'll just have to try harder to make a relationship work with him. This guy is completely out of my reach, and Sanji's, well, he's more reliable. Argh. I'll just try harder with him. In the meantime, how do I save my friends? What do you think I should do?"

Robin thought it was funny how quickly Nami shifted topic, as if the situation regarding Arlong wasn't that big of a topic at all. It just showed the immaturity of the girl she was friends with, and it made her feel happy because that should be all the trouble that Nami should have to experience in her life. Boys, crushes, relationship drama – not drug running, syndicates and fishmen that threatened her families' lives because of her mapping skills. She asked, "What does your heart tell you to do?"

"Honestly?"

"Honestly."

"Trust the guys," she said with a sigh. " _Trust_ the guys but…"

"Your friends?" Robin asked skeptically. "Your high school friends? Against fishmen?"

"Yep."

Robin gave a one shoulder shrug. "Then trust your heart, Nami."

Nami showed her her cellphone wallpaper. "Isn't he _hot_ , Robin? I don't know of any guy that can wear cartoon pants like that."

"Sanji will feel hurt if you have it."

"Sanji has a photo album of Victoria Secret models on his phone upon my approval, this isn't any different."

"'Upon your approval'? Oh, Nami, you're so silly."


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: This fic isn't as actionGALORE! as my other fics are. D: But there's just enough to keep it (me)interest(ed)ing.**

 **Guest#1: haha, he explains himself in the end ;)**

 **Musical Bear: He's trying to figure himself out as well. Oh lawd…he's figuring himself out :D Lol I don't have many deaths planned for this fic, but I'm a known liar**

 **Guest#2: Sanji will definitely be making an impact on his peers, soon. ;) As for Robin, she was amused because Nami had said Sanji could have photos on his phone on Nami's approval, which is confusing for everybody because why is she controlling the pr0n stash? (haha)**

 **Showihd1: your review made me laugh! But as the kids get older and figure themselves out, their attitudes and way of thinking will definitely change as the story continues. :D**

 **Alasse-m: admittedly, it might've been the wrong idea to do so. But the more these two interact with each other, the more others start to take notice (cover your eyes, Shachi! XD ) Read on to find out how**

 **Chapter Eight:**

… **And You Know You're Going To Fall**

Law scowled at his phone, Shachi and Penguin peering over the wall with anxious action. The four of them were posted outside of a high wall at the grand perimeters of a house on a hill overlooking the city. There were guards posted in various locations throughout the sprawling lawn that was browning over due to the freezing snow, recently, and the four story house was glowing from within. There was light laughter and cigarette smoke coming from a group nearest the garage, and an underlying metallic scent that made his saliva run in remembrance of the taste.

The evening was cold and dreary, an unexpected wind causing branches to rustle and landscape shrubbery to shift and whistle. While located in a somewhat isolated area, the traffic just beyond their position ambled slowly on a winding road that warned trespassers to stay away.

As they waited for the right moment, Law thought about the day's events and he didn't like the feeling he was experiencing as a result of certain actions. But it really bugged him watching Sanji walk up to the shop with Nami on his hand, looking absolutely happy. It reminded him of their age gap and their life experiences, and that he was a fool for thinking the way he did about the teen. He'd only been an ass and threatened not to pay the Shachi and Penguin because of the feelings he had, causing the rather angry food scene. It wasn't anything Sanji did – it was his own doing.

He hated that Sanji made him feel like a little kid again, throwing a fit because something was beyond his control.

At the same time, he had no idea why he let the teenage girl bug him, lecturing her about fidelity when he was attacking her boyfriend whenever he had the chance. So shouldn't Sanji himself be lectured on being faithful? It was just a confusing mess. _He_ was a confused mess. But it was an enjoyable mess because every time he came face to face with his former childhood friend, he liked the confusion he felt of toeing a forbidden line, unable to figure it out or put it in its place, or come to a direct determination of his intentions.

He was probably just a twisted pervert, like everyone said.

Shachi reached down and covered his phone screen with one hand, giving an anxious, "Senpai! What are you doing? Why are you on your phone while we're on a stakeout?"

Penguin was standing atop of Bepo, who was on his four paws, and Shachi was in a tree, hanging low from a branch, and both men had to look down at him because he was seated against the wall next to Bepo's face, Ninja Turtles glowing in the dark.

"Shachi, quick question – what if, hypothetically, you liked someone's yard, but every time you passed that yard on your way to work, you saw a yard next to it that you didn't like? Would you still buy the house and accept that you'll never be satisfied knowing that the other yard will always be there at the edge of yours?"

Shachi and Penguin stared at him for a few moments before Shachi cleared his throat and said slowly, "Like, what's the theme of the yard? I need to know, because a yard's theme is totally important."

Law thought about it for a moment, then answered carefully, "It's a brand new yard, with room for growth and improvement, and when it flourishes, it's the type that can draw in any eye of anybody passing by."

"So…the sod was just laid out?"

"Very recently. It needs care and fertilizing in order to grow its roots."

"I'm so lost," Penguin confessed, scrunching his brow. "How do yards fit into a stakeout?"

"Well, to be honest, I'd take the house. Because you can make that yard yours, improve it, help it flourish, maybe do a little reorganizing – if it's a young yard, you can help it grow. With your personality, you can run off your neighbors real easy," Shachi said after careful consideration. "Why? Are you looking at houses, again?"

"Yep."

"I don't know how I feel about handling mortgages."

"You're right, commitment is difficult in our line of work."

"And paying off student loans might hinder your yard purchases, anyway," Penguin added with a confused look.

Shachi and Law stared up at him with frowns, and Penguin shrugged weakly.

"We _are_ talking about houses, right?"

"I guess I shouldn't worry about it," Law decided, locking his phone and putting it away in his pocket. "It's not my choice, in the end. I knew that this was only a phase. I let my curiosity get away with me, again. I have to stop that from happening, next time."

Shachi and Penguin stared at him for several moments, clearly lost.

Bepo leaned in with a whisper. "Don't give up on the feeling, senpai. It's there for a reason."

"Are we _really_ talking about houses?" Shachi asked, a slight edge of panic in his tone. "Or is this something else?"

"You're right," Law told Bepo. He patted his cheek. "I can't control other people's yards, but I can help what I own flourish."

"That's the spirit!" Shachi said, with a thumbs up, teeth gleaming brilliantly in the darkness. He really had no idea what was happening, but he often said things just to move on from the situation. It kept him from getting a headache later one, trying to figure out the older man's thoughts.

" _What are we talking about_?" Penguin cried, then slapped his hands over his mouth as the others reacted with ' _shh's_!' in his direction.

But the guards were roused, and dogs barked, and Law gave him an impatient glare. "Thanks to you, now I have to fight in my jammies. I hope you're happy."

" _Why are you wearing that anyway_?" Penguin asked in frustration, drawing out his gun while Shachi glared at him, pulling out his assault rifle from his jacket.

"As we'd planned, hit house, blow up the lab, and take out the garage. It should be pretty simple."

"'Pretty simple', he says," Shachi grumbled, climbing over the wall with Penguin, both of them shooting in tandem as Bepo joined them. The guards caught sight of them, shooting back, releasing the dogs. Bepo jumped off the wall, making easy work of the humans with various kicks and punches.

"Were you guys really talking about getting a house?" Penguin asked, reloading, kicking the dogs away from him. "Or is this just another one of his weird Adderall moments?"

They saw the blue shimmer lift and expand around them, the house ahead of them shaking and slowly pulling apart. As wood split, brick lifted and parts of the yard began to lift with spectacular fashion, revealing the house's foundation and the startled people that had sought cover in a supposedly secure residence, Shachi snorted.

"I just go with it, bro. There's really nothing else to it. If what I say makes him think harder, then he leaves me alone."

"I try and follow your line of thinking, but it's really hard, because clearly I'm the only logical thinker in this group!"

"You're never getting promoted," Shachi told him.

"What's there to be promoted to?" Penguin cried with frustration. "We are clearly in a group that does not fit into any mold out there!"

"Not with that attitude!"

Various men with rapid fire machine guns began shooting at them from the ruins of the house, so they separated and moved in opposite directions. Bepo somersaulted into the ruins, and began tossing bodies in various directions, causing both men to regroup, firing at anything that moved. Once the house began revealing its labs deep within its depths, Shachi gave a huge sigh, running in that direction, Penguin joining him moments later, panting hard.

"Ah, there's the boss!" Shachi said, pointing off to the side, revealing a group of men that were hastily moving towards the remains of a garage. "Senpai! Ten o'clock!"

The group of men gave sudden shouts, and both of them stopped movement just to watch as limbs were cut apart, heads removed, and torsos rearranged. "I'll never get used to that. _Ever_."

Penguin looked at his watch, then hollered, "Five minutes! I'll take the lab, you get the garage."

"Bepo, stay behind and watch his back, he's getting close to his limit," Shachi said to the polar bear, who nodded and dashed back to Law's side.

"One day, if he keeps using his abilities like this, I bet dude could slash through mountains," Penguin said with awe, looking up at the house's destruction, just feet above their heads.

"Yeah right! Now isn't that an Adderall dream?"

The next morning, Zeff lowered the tablet he was reading the city paper on, and glared at the blinds of the balcony. He resisted throwing any emotion into his action, as Sanji was busy making breakfast for them both, looking abnormally cheered for this time of day. He'd spent much of the early morning preparing what looked like boxes of dinner for his friends, Zeff assumed, and was now making breakfast. The kid really was all too happy cooking for his friends, no matter what occasion, and Zeff didn't think too much of it.

The headlines broadcasted the destruction of a major White Rabbit manufacturer that Arlong used to supply his side of the city. The house had been rendered into rubble, all occupants captured, and the fishman himself pissed that an independent group with no affiliation to any of the syndicates had attacked him. It was to Arlong's misfortune that his batch of White Rabbit was shit, anyway, responsible for overdoses in high school users.

He expected to hear complaints from Arlong pretty soon, sure that another meeting would be called over the severity of attacks on all White Rabbit distributers in the city.

He shook his head with disgust. It was plain as day who was responsible for these attacks, and while he personally didn't care for the drug's presence, as long as it was limited only to fighters and didn't affect civilians, then he didn't much care for its business amongst the syndicates. With so much turmoil being cast into the syndicate world by this one group attacking all their White Rabbit supply, people were starting to complain. And when they started to complain, they started to think defensively, and careful thoughts often turned to irrational action.

"Sanji," he said low, using their first language because he sometimes forgot to speak English early in the morning. "Come right to the restaurant after school, please. Today will be a dangerous day for anybody in Arlong's association."

"Why?" Sanji asked in English, and Zeff noted the tone. He continued to use his own language, since they were both very fluent in both.

"It appears his lab was destroyed last night, and he might be very sensitive."

Sanji looked at him with a surprised expression, then looked down at his task with a frown that looked suspiciously obnoxious. "Well, that's good news, right?"

"Not entirely. Yes, less shit on the street, but Arlong's line of thinking might be a turbulent one. He'll lash out. Fishmen tend to lose their temper very easily. All you kids should lay low."

"Old man, why is it okay that you're okay with me doing this for Arlong?" Sanji then asked him, carrying plates to the table and carefully distributing them. "You told me that you wanted me to stay out of this, but you're letting me do this."

"This is for your friend, right? Her life is on the line?"

"So he says."

"The only reason why I allow it is because of that reason. You think you're doing a noble thing, you unnaturally colored eggplant, working for a man like Arlong just to release her from her debt. Arlong thinks he has something over me, causing his guard and his thinking to grow lax. Unfortunately for him, all he has to do is make a wrong move and I can have him removed. He knows this."

"But a wrong move can be made swiftly."

Zeff looked at him impatiently, switching to English. "Sanji, you little bastard, if you believe yourself a weakling, you'll always be a weakling. But you're not. I trust you to defend yourself whenever necessary, and I know for a fact that the kids you hang out with aren't weaklings, either. If you find yourself in a perilous place, they'll be there to draw you out of it. You've already caused ripples in the pond with this other bastard friend of yours. Unfortunately, if he continues to make waves with his decisions on attacking everybody's White Rabbit supply, he's going to cause irrepairable damage to the delicate web already in place, and I'd rather you not near it when a line falls down because of it."

"Oh," Sanji said, looking at him with a thoughtful frown. "This stuff gets confusing, sometimes."

"Have you given it any more thought? I'm sure it's very overwhelming."

"Well, so far, I can't help my past. I can't help that I don't remember any of it, and at this point in life, I think I accept it. I've only known you since then, so…there's nothing I can do about the family that was taken from me," Sanji said, sitting down at the table with a pot of hot coffee and cream. "It makes sense now that I don't remember all the whys and hows before then – how old was I?"

"You'd just turned five."

"That's just…like I don't remember anything. I don't even think I'd know what they looked like if I saw a picture of them," Sanji confessed, pouring coffee into his mug, then into Zeff's.

"I have some. If you'd like to look."

"Maybe at another time. Also, about this entire syndicate thing – like I told Law, I want only my own life. I'd already decided what I'm going to do in life. I've no other plans to do anything differently, or even have interest beyond what's happening to Nami."

"You talk about this shit to that bastard?"

"Well, in limited detail. He seems easily distracted," Sanji mumbled.

Zeff huffed, because he didn't think that at all. But he looked at his tablet once more, panning through the headlines. "I don't like that you're so free to express yourself with him, you little shit, considering what trouble he's causing."

"That's his own life. He keeps me out of it, I don't ask too much of it. He's obsessed with following the White Rabbit around, and while I'm curious, I'm not _that_ curious to do the same."

"Why is he, I wonder?" Zeff asked. "Has he said anything about it?"

"Nope. Like I said, I didn't ask," Sanji lied easily, cutting through his omelet. "Eat, you bastard. I put a lot of pepper in it, just like you asked."

Zeff lowered the tablet once again. "Continue to stay out of it. That's all you can do."

At school later that morning in the cafeteria, while Zoro ate a breakfast sandwich with a foot on Luffy's face as the teen whined for a bite, Sanji looked over his phone, looking for a text. He didn't get one, and he didn't think he would, so he held his phone in close to ask a question. Nami appeared at that moment, humming, and she rolled her eyes at Luffy and Zoro before she sat next to Sanji with a huff of air, trying to look at the contents of his phone. She was annoyed when she realized he was hiding what he was doing from her.

"It's Friday," she said. "Are you guys thinking of back out? Because you still can."

"No way! I'm totally ready!" Luffy exclaimed, abandoning his efforts. "It's going to be so cool!"

"I'm getting at least ten hours of sleep in before we go," Zoro said, his chin and cheeks greasy from the sandwich he had to eat hastily. "I sharpened my swords. I'm ready to go."

"Did you guys hear the news?" Sanji asked, looking up from his phone after sending the text. "Arlong's lab was hit last night. He's going to be extra testy."

"So that's what they were doing!" Nami exclaimed. She looked at Zoro and Luffy as Sanji gave her a curious look. "After school, bae and I – "

"'Bae'?" Sanji repeated, lighting up with glee, Zoro looking at him impatiently.

"'Bae' means 'poop', Sanji," Luffy told him. "I learned that in chemistry. _Poop_. Nami's calling you poop. Haha. Sanji poop. Poopy Sanji."

"SHUT UP."

"Anyway," Nami continued with a glare at Luffy, "we went and visited with Sanji's friend yesterday."

"The one with the sword?" Zoro asked curiously.

Nami drummed her fingertips atop of the table with impatience. "Yes. _Freak_. Anyway, we went over to the place where he works, this coffee shop on Market, and we learned some interesting developments. After making us feel like shit for what we were doing, he and his friends apparently hit Arlong's lab after that. I thought that was rather noble. How brave and amazing is he?"

"You went there after I went to work?" Sanji asked her curiously.

"Yes. He offered to help, and you didn't want it, so I went over there to try and ask for it. But he said it's up to you."

"We can do this on our own," Zoro said with a frown. "We don't need anybody else's help. What are we, weaklings? No. That guy needs to keep to his own side of the fence, and we'll stay on ours."

"Our agenda is different from his, admittedly," Nami said, fiddling with her uniform skirt. She'd rolled the waist so that her skirt was shorter, her school sweater falling perfectly in place, but the sheepskin boots she wore were long and her sweater cuffs were decorated with flashy bracelets that jingled with her movement. "I just wanted to say that you all were on your own. He wasn't going to help us in any way."

"How come I haven't met this guy?" Luffy asked suspiciously.

"Sanji keeps him hidden because he's _ridiculously_ good looking, and he might steal me away," Nami said with a grin.

"Oh, okay, sounds reasonable."

Sanji frowned, fiddling with the cuffs of his uniform jacket. He wasn't sure how to feel about Nami's view of the other man. While he had to admit that Nami was right, he wasn't sure if it were jealousy he felt _about_ Nami's admiration of him, or that he felt annoyed that Nami was _looking_ at the man. There was a huge difference between both.

Zoro kicked him underneath the table, causing him to grab his shin with a pained expression, Nami looking at them curiously. Zoro just shook his head with an exasperated expression, leaning upon the table with an elbow while Luffy picked his nose.

"Sanji, what'd you do with your ring?" Nami asked him curiously, touching the empty space with her other hand.

"Oh, I left it at home."

She wondered why he'd lie, but didn't feel the need to press if he wasn't going to be truthful about it. She'd wondered why he'd had it on, anyway, advertising his virginity without any religious affiliation whatsoever. Most guys didn't do that, but then again, most guys didn't have dreams of wanting to be domesticated right out of high school.

She sighed heavily, leaning on the table with an elbow. "Oh, Sanji, you're such a moron, sometimes. I wonder where you'd be if you didn't have me to pull you out of your own dream pool."

"Probably happy," Zoro muttered, causing her to kick him underneath the table.

"I _am_ happy! Nami makes me happy just being near me!" Sanji said cheerfully. He then released her hand quickly once his phone went off, and when he pulled it up so only he could see the contents, Nami stared at him.

He locked his phone, tucked it into his uniform jacket pocket, and rose away from the table. "I'll see you guys in class, later. Got to run outside for a smoke."

"It'd be easier killing yourself on Saturday!" Luffy called after him. He looked at the others, his strawhat hanging from its tie around his neck. He was the only one in the entire school that got away with having the thing on him at all times. "I can't wait for tomorrow."

"I can," Nami grumbled. "If something happens, just know I'm going to feel horrible about it for the rest of my life because I put you all in this mess. Next time, I'm not going to say a thing."

"Oh, buddy, calm down. You're part of the cool guy club, you know we watch out for each other, here," Luffy said with a grin.

"I'm not a guy!" she snapped at him, rising from the bench. "Go to class."

After school, Sanji sent Zeff a text, warning him that he'd be late. He took an Uber to the coffee shop, dashing inside, intending on only dropping off their dinner and catching the ride back to the restaurant. But when he saw Corazon enjoying a cup of coffee at one of the tables, and Doffy sprawled in one of the booths with his legs stretched out to rest atop of a table with a couple of minions sitting at it, he knew he wasn't going to escape in a timely manner. Both men had their jackets over their shoulders, and Corazon had set his hood aside so his hat hair was everywhere. The turtleneck sweater he wore looked ridiculously white and blinding.

It amused him that the Donquixote brothers were in the shop – Sanji wondered if it had to do with last night's incident. Now that he was attuned to such matters, there were minions sitting next to the brothers and he could've swore that there were others sitting outside. He figured they were on alert, and he guessed that Law was pissed about Cora's probable insistence on them being there 'just in case'. It would be just like Cora to come running if he felt Law was in trouble, or in trouble being near 'in trouble'.

"Hi!" Sanji greeted Corazon cheerfully, hearing Doffy's snores. Corazon gave a wave in response, setting the mug aside, missing the table completely. Penguin looked exhausted, appearing in moments to clean up the mess while Corazon looked sheepish.

"Good afternoon! School's over?" Corazon asked him curiously, looking at the bag with interest. "What's this? Food?"

"Um, yes."

"You're still doing this for my dear, sweet boy?" Corazon asked incredulously. "What'd he threaten you with, this time?"

"No threats! It's me on my own. We're a little older, now, I figure I can do this without expecting anything in return."

"But you were always this way."

"When we were kids, I used him to watch television in the man cave. Zeff never let me watch that stuff," Sanji said cheerfully.

Sanji couldn't resist the expression that flit over that clownish face, and he set the bag atop of the table nearby. As he was divvying up the dinner he'd made for the others, Law walked over with an annoyed expression, glaring at Corazon.

"Go. _Home_. You're scaring off all the regulars!" he snapped at him.

"But Yelp has given this place a three star rating, so I think it'll be fine if I sit here for another half hour," Corazon said, looking for his mug and finding it missing before he remembered he'd dropped it. "And of course, I'm not going to turn this away! Do you know how long it's been since we've had some home cooking?"

"I don't care."

"Stop being so nasty to him," Sanji scolded Law, divvying up the snack box in order to fit in an extra dinner in there. He handed it to Corazon, who reached for it with eager hands. Law snatched the box from him, and set it in front of him, preventing any accidents from happening. "Are you and Doffy visiting your pride and joy?"

"Just checking up on him! We haven't talked to him in so long, he won't accept our Friend requests, he won't f4f, nor does he do Snapchat – how the hell are we supposed to keep in contact with him when he avoids us out of sheer embarrassment? We were forced to come down here," Corazon complained. But he looked up at Law with such pride that Sanji couldn't help but grin at him, hands over his heart. "It's a good thing because it always fills my heart with joy seeing how grown up you are in your little work clothes!"

Law's response was an expression of angry mortification, Corazon either oblivious or uncaring of his reaction, as he usually was.

"Anyway, where's your girlfriend?" Law asked with an annoyed expression directed to Sanji.

"You bastard, you stay away from her! Don't ask about her, don't look at her, don't mention her, don't even try to be friendly to me about her!" Sanji snapped at him, grabbing his uniform and shaking him. "She does not _exist_ if she's not here with me, and furthermore, how _dare_ you even have interest to ask!"

"I was just going to say, don't bring her around here, anymore. She's an obnoxious jerk."

" _What'd you do to her_?"

"I tried to shove her into moving traffic."

"You keep your fucking hands off my girlfriend!"

When Corazon stared at Sanji, and the silence grew awkward, Sanji realized he was still hanging on the man's work uniform. He pushed away from Law with an embarrassed expression. When Corazon slowly started to eat, taking careful scoops of pasta, breaded chicken and vegetables, Sanji repacked the dinner boxes and gave the bag to Law.

"I don't know what to feed Bepo," he then whispered, looking for the bear.

"Bepo eats whatever he catches in the harbor. He's an animal, he eats animal food, not human food," Law explained impatiently. Then he looked at the bag Sanji had given him. "Take this to the back. There's a refrigerator back there."

" _You're_ the one holding it," Sanji pointed out with vague irritation. Then scowled when Law gave it to him, so he stomped off to the back with the man following him, Corazon looking after them with mild curiosity.

As Sanji found space for it in the refrigerator, he noticed that Law was watching him. He felt that air of expectation around him, where the man had things he wanted to say, but he wasn't saying anything. He growled out, " _What_?"

"You're really going to do this, tomorrow."

" _Yes_."

Law's scowl intensified, and Sanji looked up at him with a scowl of his own. " _Why_?"

"You're completely set on challenging a fishman."

" _Yes_! How is it any different from what you did last night?" Sanji snapped impatiently at him.

"I have _experience_. You're still just a high school kid, who had no chance against an opponent your age on White Rabbit. And you're challenging a fucking fishman, whose strength is greatly different from a normal human being's."

Sanji pursed his lips for a few moments, trying not to blow his top. But he could sense that there was something different in the way Law continued the subject, looking at him with such irritation. He asked curiously, "How is this any different from when you first started out? You gained your experience with pushing yourself into a challenge, right?"

"I just feel that you're not ready to jump into such a mess at this age and with your lack of progress into any ranking system – "

Sanji suddenly realized what this was about. His eyes widened, and he invaded his space with his hands on his overalls again. "Are you _worried_ about me? Is that what this is about?"

"No!"

"You _are_!" Sanji exclaimed, noting that the man was now unable to look at him, scowling across the room. "You totally are! _Wow_. I don't know how to feel about that."

"It's not me being worried about you, it's – "

"Then explain it to me. And use all the big words you want, you bastard, I think it's plainly obvious why you're making a big deal out of it. It's not that you care about what will happen to Zeff and his reputation and whatnot, you're just worried that I'm not going to walk away from this."

"NO."

Sanji pulled back and grinned brilliantly up at him, unable to say anything for a few moments. Law continued to look away from him and Sanji felt his face fill with color. He turned away, unsure of how to feel about himself, about both of them. He had to lean on the countertop nearby, his heart racing furiously against his ribcage.

He exhaled heavily, and then turned to look at him. "Look, I'm doing this because I want to. Because that's my friend I'm fighting for. Because even if you've done everything to try to discourage me from making the same mistakes, I'm not following after you. I'm living my own life."

"You wanted something domestic and safe your entire life. How are you going to accomplish that goal by venturing into shit like this? You think it won't follow you? Why do you think none of them ever married? Why do you think Zeff was so broken up about witnessing your real family's death? Family was never to be touched, but sometimes people don't give a shit about that sort of thing, Sanji."

"This is only a one time thing. It's not going to affect the rest of my life."

"You are such a fucking fool! Why can't you just trust what I have to say?"

"And _you're_ the fucking fool that thinks that I should automatically listen to you because you're older! You have no say in what I do with what decisions I make! You have no fucking ownership over me! You're supposed to be my friend! You're supposed to just sit back and support me!"

With a disgusted shake of his head, Law looked away from him. Sanji stared at him for a few moments, unsure of what to even do. His instinct told him to reach out and touch him. But that was weird. Men didn't reach out and touch each other the way that he wanted to. He held his hands behind his back, clasping his own fingers.

Law exhaled heavily, swiping a hand through his own hair. "You're right. _You're right_. It's none of my damn business to be telling you what to do. Just…don't…well, just. Look. I can be there if you need – "

" _Stay out of this_. This is my battle, this is my fight. How would you feel if someone came in, shadowing you and making you feel inadequate and saying things like 'Grow up! Grow up!' and instead of letting you do so, they're doing everything possible to keep you from doing that?"

The frustration on the older man's face was obvious.

Sanji then took a deep breath, needing to address the elephant in the room. "What are we doing?"

"Arguing, obviously, stupid."

"What's going on between us?"

Law's expression was distinctively uncomfortable, as if he were brought back to the situation in a rather violent manner. "There isn't anything there."

"I know we tease each other and all that, but – are we really expressing feelings for each other? Because that's a whole different situation - "

"Just shut up. I haven't figured it out for myself."

Outraged that Law tossed aside such a sensitive subject, Sanji snapped, " _Make_ me shut up, jerk! You always have to be so damn prickly and rude, no wonder you're always - !"

He shut up because Law was leaning down to kiss him, pushing him up against the refrigerator, and Sanji assumed they were done talking because he sure as hell couldn't talk with someone else's tongue in his mouth. He reached up to hold onto his work uniform as Law forced his head back with his fingers in his hair. He growled into his mouth, and Sanji didn't know what he was doing, but he needed everything from him at that moment. He was all sorts of emotions, and some of it was physical. The rest was a mixture of confusion, elation, discovery and need, and he wasn't even sure how to feel about any of that when it came to this man. He took it because he felt he couldn't give back in such a manner, the man's experience and frustration greater than his.

Kissing Nami had never been this intense – exciting, but not as intense. He just let it happen because the man's fingers in his hair made him light-headed, made him feel as if he should submit, and Sanji had never felt so weak kneed in that he needed the supporting arm around his waist as much as he did at that moment.

But he managed to pull away with a huff of air, groaning, "You're going to kill me."

"You keep holding your breath, damn kid. Ugh, _you damn kid_!" Law then growled, shoving away from him, red-faced and looking just as confused as Sanji felt.

"Obviously I'm not, you bastard, this is something we have to figure out. If I continue to let it be physical, I don't know what to do. I'm just…I'm just here. But if it's something else," Sanji said, fanning his face, "then it's something else. There's no ignoring it."

"It's…nothing I'd imagined I'd be doing. Or did. But every time I'm near you, I just forget about who I am. It's not that easy to sort out. It's not just physical, either. Physical would've been easier to pick about."

"Pump and dump?"

"So vulgar."

"It's true, though, right? Girls in the bathroom?"

"It's not like that. I don't know what I'm doing in this situation."

"You know exactly what you're doing, and I'm fucking gay for it, goddammit," Sanji told him, reaching up to pull his head down again. Their mouths met and melded over and over, and Sanji lost himself in the moment, feeling overheated and needy and he didn't even know what he needed. All he knew was that his hormones were racing, his blood was hot, and he couldn't get close enough to him, even though his body was pulled up tight against his. He wanted to climb him like a tree, but he knew guys weren't supposed to do that – or could they?

He lifted a leg, curling it up around his waist, then hopped up and locked his other leg around his waist. In response, Law gave a husky groan and pushed him flat against the fridge, and Sanji couldn't breathe again because the man's hands was on his ass – he'd never _felt_ that before, and he gave a small sound in response because the man's mouth was on his neck and he was moving against him with frustration, so all Sanji could do was hold on, seeking friction because suddenly the situation was different.

"I hope you guys aren't killing each other in here," Shachi said, startling them both as he shoved the door open with empty containers of milk. He looked over to see that Law had stuffed most of the teen in the refrigerator, and Sanji was struggling to pull himself out of it. Shachi paused in mid-motion, unsure of the tension that he realized he'd walked into. "Senpai, you can't do that. That's where we keep our milk."

For once, he didn't get a snappy retort or sarcastic comment back. Law just frowned at him, and Shachi swore, just for a second, that the man was blushing. And he looked suspiciously rumpled, too. So he frowned back as Sanji finally pulled himself out of the refrigerator with an outraged expression, shoving Law aside.

"Stop picking on Cora!" he said in a frazzled tone, straightening his school uniform. Shachi stared at him because there was _something_ happening, he just wasn't sure what. Both of them avoided looking at each other, both of them looked guilty, and he swore on his mother's life that both of them had rather flushed faces not caused by anger, but by something else. The weird tension was definitely noticeable and made him feel uncomfortable.

Shachi looked at Law, who was studiously avoiding his eyes, and Sanji wasn't looking in his direction either, looking pretty embarrassed with a red face and a hand wiping his mouth. Shachi exhaled with a slow release, sure he'd regret ever taking the task he took to interrupt whatever this was.

When Sanji stalked off with a huff, Shachi looked at Law. "Please tell me I don't need to know what was happening, here."

"If you want to know, I was trying to convince him to stop this stupid thing with Arlong. That's all. He was getting overheated, so I stuffed him in the fridge."

"Makes sense, I guess," Shachi mumbled, setting the empty containers aside. "But you're not looking me in the face right now. Usually you're all hellfire and fury and – "

"You need to look me in the eye, Shachi? You miss my eyes that much?"

"No! _No_! Jeez, get out of here. I've got a job to do," Shachi grumbled. Law stepped aside so he could finish his task, but he had to compose himself for a few minutes, because he was thrown so off balance that he didn't know what to think, or what he wanted at that moment.

With some frustration, he turned and walked outside through the side exit door, determined to get his head back on.

"Sanji, you have a girlfriend?" Corazon asked when the teen reappeared at his table, wearing a worried expression. Flustered, Sanji straightened his blazer and hoped it didn't look too obvious what he'd been doing with the man's son. He couldn't quite look him in the eye. "You're too young for that. I ask that you not pursue any relationships of that sort until you're well out of high school. Please tell me you'll do better to restrain yourself from making any dumb decisions regarding women later on."

"Er, _yes_."

"Also, please exhibit safe sex practices. Always use a condom. Never talk about what you did with a girl to your friends – be respectful."

"I know, I know," Sanji said impatiently, looking embarrassed.

Corazon then slapped the table with his palm, startling Doffy out of mid-snore. He immediately sat up, looked at his phone, and then straightened his glasses as Corazon continued to lecture him. "And always, _always_! Above all else, take _responsibility_. And if you need money for any abortions, don't hesitate to DM us. We won't say anything to Zeff."

"What are we talking about?" Doflamingo asked curiously while Sanji turned brilliant red.

"There will be none of that!" Sanji hissed at Corazon. "I have to go!"

"Also, Sanji, it's very important that you pay attention to cues. If they're hesitant to jump into bed, don't pressure them. They've already made up their mind, let them make the first move. It's their choice, it's only a privilege for you. You should be grateful that they're even giving you attention in the first place," Corazon said, looking as if his eyes were filling up with tears. "Because not many girls will give you attention, anyway. So if any one of them even gives you a little bit of it, cherish it as if it's the last you'll ever have, because you're going to be single forever. No girl likes a man that allows his brother to make all the decisions and refuses to let him have a life beyond this."

Sanji wondered if the man knew he was talking about himself.

"Are you embarrassing the kid with your awkward sex talk, again? Look how well that worked on Law," Doflamingo scolded. When the bigger man reached out and grabbed his blazer with controlling action, Sanji knew he wasn't going to get away any time soon. "Listen here, brat. Disregard all that. If you're going to walk down the path to hell with high school girls, you might as well as do it with flair. Don't take 'no' for an answer, convince them afterward it was their fault, and never talk to them again when they start showing up with pregnancy sticks and talks of commitment. And if they give you lip, you make sure they know their place, which is quietly, at your side, and always at your beck and call and convenience. Practice polygamy, because it's better to have choices!"

" _Oh my god_!" Corazon cried with shock.

Doflamingo disregarded his brother's revolted alarm. "Do everything I tell you, kid, and you'll be fine. There's no stopping the train once it's started. Get out there and make your place known! You're a man, you take your privilege and use it against them! You're the stronger sex! Divide and conquer, fool! That's the _only_ way you'll earn respect in this world! Girls should learn to fear you!"

"Shut up! That's entirely wrong! Don't listen to him! You bastard! You're the worst! You need to stay away from children!" Corazon snapped at him, utterly horrified. "Don't give anybody advice!"

" _Wow_ ," Sanji uttered. "I need to go."

Doflamingo scoffed, snatching Corazon's meal box from him and eating the rest of it, much to his brother's protest. With his mouth full, he said, "Listen, kid, don't worry about it if it doesn't work out with this one. There's a ton of fish in the sea, and none of them should be any that takes up your time right now. This is the time to learn about what you can do for yourself instead of giving all your attention to one whiny girl that will get jealous if you even look at anybody else."

"I'm not experiencing that sort of thing, right now."

"If they're not jealous of you keeping company with others, then they don't care about you at all."

"She's a very secure person."

"If you're messing around with a girl, you have been manipulated a long time ago," Doflamingo muttered, grin turning into a grim frown. "Women will have you doing ungodly things for them without any regard to your own wellbeing and safety, and suddenly you're waking up in the middle of a shootout with no memory how you got there, just that you went in guns blazing because she looked at you with tears in her eyes. Afterward, they drop you, claiming that it wasn't what they wanted in the first place. They're not very appreciative."

Corazon and Sanji stared at him in silence. He shook himself out of it, rising to stand. "Anyway, what did we learn, today?"

"I'd always wondered," Corazon muttered, hand over his mouth, looking sad for his brother. "That woman never did talk to you again after you went in and – "

"Don't make the same mistakes we did, or we will kill you," Doflamingo warned Sanji with a large finger up.

Sanji gave him a thumbs up. "I'll do my best."

"Make good choices!" Doflamingo called after him. When Sanji hopped back into the car, the Uber driver looking annoyed, he gave a light sigh, patting the top of Corazon's head. "I hope we do better with this one. He seems like he's going places that aren't the county jail."

"It's amazing how terrible you are."

The next morning, after Zeff had gone to work for the breakfast rush, Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Ussop and Nami walked up to Arlong's mansion, all of them in a state of determination. Nami looked anxious as the guards let them through with warning stares and angry growls. She held onto Sanji's hand tightly, her palms and fingers sweaty, but their confident faces gave her some hope in that they knew what they were doing. Luffy was eager to get the 'party started', marching up to Arlong's office, taking out any fishman along the way.

By the time Sanji kicked the doors open and Luffy walked in, Arlong looked pretty pissed.

"What the hell are you guys doing?" he demanded from behind his desk, on a teleconference call with other syndicate heads throughout the area. He rose up as Luffy marched up to him, saying, "We came to liberate our friend from your control! We're tired of selling your crap, and she should no longer have to work for you."

"Nami?" Arlong questioned, looking at the teen who left Sanji's side and stood on her own away from the group. "What's going on?"

"Your stash has been responsible for hurting many of my classmates in their quest to become better fighters," she said, tossing her purse to the floor. "This is what remains of your crap. You can have it back. We're not doing this, anymore."

Arlong looked at her for a few moments, then looked over the others in her group. Luffy waited for his reaction, but his leg was jiggling with anticipation, and Zoro looked pretty happy in facing off with Hatchen, Ussop trembling before Chew, and Sanji looking at Kuroobi with a smirk, deliberately dropping ashes on his carpet.

"Gentlemen, I'll have to reconnect with you in a few minutes," he then said to the blinking soundstation in front of him. "I have a few of my runners looking to protest their sudden lack of employment."

After hanging up, he stood in his seat and looked at the group again. "You do realize you're making a very big and very costly mistake, coming into my place like this. Not only are you protesting my goodwill, you've insulted me in front of my peers by coming in unannounced. Nami, you of all people should know better than this."

"I'm tired of selling this shit, Arlong. It's done nothing but cause harm. All of those using it has lost their battles, and some of them are still in the hospital after overdosing on your merchandise. You've failed to provide a worthy product. Anybody with any smarts would know that yours is the worst," she said. "I quit, today. And there's nothing you can do about it."

He laughed. "So you bring these little shits in here to intimidate me? Don't you have it wrong? _I_ do the intimidating around here! Were you the ones to destroy my lab, last night? Tell me the truth."

"I wish we were. If I'd thought of that, I would've admitted it," Luffy said with a shrug. "I didn't know you could do that, around here."

"Don't joke of it. I can have another up and running by the end of the week."

"No, you won't. For all the misdeeds you've caused Nami and her family, I'm going to take you down."

Arlong laughed heartily, nearly in tears as he looked over the sophomore with a strawhat. "And who the hell are you, kid? I have shitstains older than you!"

"Ew," Nami muttered.

"I'm called Luffy! Enough with the talk! Are you going to let her go, or what? And please say what. I've been looking forward to this all week!"

"So, you weren't the ones involved with my lab?"

"To be honest, not at all."

Arlong looked at the teens in turn, then looked back at him, teeth bared. "' _What'_."

Luffy grinned widely, taking off his hat and giving it to Nami. Then he threw the first punch with a happy laugh. The place exploded with action. The morning passed pretty quickly as the group separated in the midst of battle to take on their own opponents. The mansion was destroyed in the process, the fishmen taken down almost easily by the teens that had nothing else to do on a Saturday morning.

In the coffee shop, Law waited quietly over his phone, noting the passing time. There was nothing on the news, and there was nothing in the forum boards, and his mood was so tense that neither Shachi or Penguin attempted to bother him with their usual pestering. Bepo kept grimacing in his direction, and he started drumming his fingertips atop of the counter, feeling anxiety grow as the morning shifted into early afternoon. He played with the lock screen a few times, then began pulling apart cold cups, tearing careful strips out of them and creating a pile of them over his side of the counter.

When his phone finally vibrated with a text, he opened it up with some anxiety, unsure if he wanted to see the content. But once he did, Sanji had only sent him a thumbs-up emoji. After waiting for hours to hear of anything related to the teens' plans, seeing that only caused him to freeze. There was no detail, no follow up explanation, no selfie, even. Just a single thumbs up that could mean anything.

He almost cracked the phone with the intensity of his grip, trying not to grind his teeth. But he sent a question mark as a reply. When he got back an 'okay' sign and another thumbs-up with a flexing arm, he growled.

"Damn," Shachi said nearby, looking at his phone. "The board is going crazy. Arlong got his ass wrecked by an unknown affiliated with none of the city's recognized groups."

Law set his phone down calmly. "How 'wrecked'?"

"As in beaten to a pulp and left for dead outside his mansion. Him and his stupid goons. Guess the kid was pissed about – oh my god. Is this what you were stressing about? Is this what Sanji-kun was talking about doing because his girlfriend was selling for him? You don't think he was there, too right?"

"The teens escaped?"

"Yeah, they're fine. Look at this, Nami's facebook post," he then added, showing him his Facebook.

"You're _Friends_ with her on Facebook?" Law questioned him.

"I didn't know she'd hi-jacked my phone that one night! But look!"

When he did, he saw that she'd taken a selfie of herself and the guys, all of them in states of injury, but posing victoriously over Arlong's unconscious form outside his mansion.

'Freedom!' she'd posted, much to her 799 Facebook friends and family, all with a comment and reaction.

He sat back in his stool, tapping a fingertip over the counter. "And so it begins. With Arlong down and out from his position, there will be others who will either be fine with it, or against it."

"Zeff is going to be so pissed."

"If he's not targeted for allowing it to happen in the first place."

"Senpai, you knew it was going to happen. Why didn't you tell Zeff yourself?" Penguin asked.

"It's not my place to say or speak up when it's not been requested of me."

"Yes, but, if you'd said something on the behalf of the kid – "

"Let's get this clear, right now. That kid is well aware of where he comes from and what's expected of him. He chose to go this route, despite repeated warning. He made his decision, and he's going to accept what happens as a result of it. For a group of unknowns to attack a ranked fighter such as Arlong himself, what do you think will happen?"

"Retaliation."

"I hate to say it, but this will be his first lesson for charging ahead blindly without considering all consequences to his actions. Zeff kept him out of this world for every reason – but he chose to do this on the behalf of his girlfriend. He'll have to live with what happens next. You can't always tell someone how they should live their life when they're determined to make their own way."

"Goddamn."

"So we just sit back and let what happens, happen?" Penguin asked with worry.

"It's the only way to stay unaffiliated with any group in the city. We get ourselves involved with others' business, then we lose our position as an 'unknown'. He didn't want help. He chose to trust his friends."

"That's a shame, they're young, too," Shachi muttered, looking at the picture again. "I don't know what to think about this."

"There's nothing you can do, Shachi. They knew what they were getting into."

In response to Sanji's texts, Law sent back a falling stock emoji and left it at that.

At the restaurant, Zeff sat in his office in silence, hand on his forehead. He was so close to retirement. His face weighed heavily with intense acceptance, looking at a cheerful Sanji across from him. The teen had come to work nearly four hours late, wearing various bandages over injury and walking with a very slight limp, but as far as he was concerned, Nami was free from her bonds with Arlong. Now that Arlong and his group had been taken down, the world was in turmoil, and they were looking at Zeff suspiciously.

He knew it wasn't the end of it.

The teen was texting, on break from kitchen work, and Zeff couldn't find any words to express what he was feeling at the moment. Most of it was just heavy resolve, the rest of it sadness. After everything he had done – so close to retirement – Sanji had his foot in the water Zeff had tried so hard for him to avoid.

"Ah, dumbass eggplant, you've done it now," was all he said, sighing deeply.

"I'm glad we're not under his control, anymore," Sanji said, frowning at him. "That was all I was worried about. That's all we did. There was no asking lightly, since you weren't going to do it."

"When you're older and you look back on things, you'll see what I'd tried to do for you. Well, what happens next will happen soon, and I'll do whatever I can now to keep a semblance of peace in the world for you. It's amazing what men will do for a woman's tears. All rational thought goes right out the door for you. Is love really worth the consequences?"

"Nami's been my friend for most of my life. I'm willing to do a lot for her."

"But is it love?"

"It must be," Sanji said with a shrug. "I'm aware that it makes a man stupid, but I don't think that describes Luffy, who did it for her, as well. For a friend. For us, really, because we were the only ones selling."

Zeff sighed heavily. "Love makes a man do very stupid, foolish and desperate things, Sanji. I advise that you never do anything of the sort in your lifetime, again."

"But _you_ love me, and you've done everything else for me. How is that different from what you're describing?"

"Family love is different."

"But you're not even related to me."

"I brought you up as my own, you _are_ my family."

"Well, if you have to be technical about it…"

"If you love someone and are willing to do everything possible to keep them safe and happy, then it comes with consequences once you've stepped foot in this world. And your foot is now in it. There's no turning away from it, now. You assisted with taking out a very recognized syndicate head. The others were balanced fine around him, and now that he's gone, they're either falling into the space left behind, or preparing for retaliation on his behalf. You realize that we could be attacked at any moment while we're here?" Zeff said quietly. "Or when we're settled in our own beds at home? Or perhaps while you're walking to school? Or maybe they're waiting for her at home, and you'll wake up to the news that those women were attacked in their beds, because it was Nami that was associated with Arlong. There are many fine threads connected to each head, and since you've cut away one of them, those threads have to go somewhere."

Sanji stared at him in silence for a few moments, then shook his head. "We'll be fine. One less syndicate head to worry about, right? Less White Rabbit on the streets? More business for others around him to pick up?"

"If only it were that simple. I just hope that, if there's a future for you, you'll think of these consequences more thoroughly. I pray that you do. Go back to the kitchen, shitty brat. We'll head home soon. There's not much we can do here, now."

Sanji shrugged, putting his phone back atop of Zeff's desk and walking out. Zeff took his phone and scanned the messages he'd been sending out, noting that he'd been texting Luffy, Zoro, Nami and Ussop, and the group board was full of cheer and recaps. His social media – Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter – was his usual mess of teenage crap. But he did notice that Doflamingo had posted a picture of him and Corazon at a coffee shop, with their son scowling in the background. The cozy post – with a 'peace' emoji as its only comment – was an irritating reminder in that Zeff was not as knowledgable about social media and it's impact with the younger generation than he should have been. He noted that his thousands of followers had much to say about the picture, but they were just compliments.

He set the phone aside and sighed heavily once more, looking at the ceiling with acceptance.

It was around two am when Sanji's alarm went off, and he sleepily turned it off, then sent a text. After the day's excitement had died away, and he and Zeff had gone to bed, he'd fallen right to sleep, exhausted by the events. But it wasn't Nami that was on his mind after all that. it was the other man, and the scene at the coffee shop needed to be addressed. When he thought about it, he felt a whole mess of things – confusion, excitement, wonder, _want_ – he needed to know what to do about it. Zeff had told him earlier that he was no longer allowed to take any Ubers or taxis to get around; Zeff himself would be picking him up from now on. So Sanji knew he wouldn't have much physical contact with Law as he'd liked, and it was just a small consequence of his actions that he had to deal with.

He was sure that the situation wouldn't pan out the way Zeff was certain it was, because as far as Sanji was concerned, one less syndicate head with a bad drug stash was just less trouble for anyone to worry about.

He rose up from his bed and quietly used the bathroom, brushed his teeth, and returned to his room, getting settled back in bed before looking at his phone. There wasn't a reply, so he shrugged and set it aside, hearing Zeff snore in his room down the hall. He figured that the conversation that needed to happen between him and Law could wait for another time. But the physical thing, _that_ needed to be addressed because it was insane how much of it he wanted happening again. He felt his cheeks warm as he recalled the feeling of the man's hands on him, the way he practically ravished him against the fridge. He covered his cheeks with his hands, smiling goofily because he'd never thought he see himself in such a position, and now that he had experienced it, it was so new and wondrous how much of it he wanted, again.

He stretched out his sore limbs, noting that his legs and mid-section were sore and achy – the result of battle against a talented opponent like Kuroobi, but the manta rayman had been too reliant on his strength and the water of Arlong's pool, and had nothing on him on dry land. He reached down and rubbed his shins, then searched for the icepacks he'd fallen asleep with. They weren't very cold, so he got up and took them back to the freezer, exchanging them for another set before returning to bed with them.

He was nearly drifting back to sleep when he heard the soft click of his door shutting, locking. He looked over at the sight of Law walking in, dressed in his sleep clothes with a jacket over them. Utterly happy, Sanji gestured at him to join him in bed, his heart racing with excitement. Not saying anything at all, the older man followed his direction, and Sanji waited until he discarded his jacket and climbed in beside him. He inhaled deeply of his smell, kicking his ice packs away and reaching out to hug him close.

"I'm glad you came," he said very quietly, shifting to a low whisper. "I don't know if I would see you again after this."

"Probably not," Law agreed sleepily. "Stupid kid."

"I don't regret it at all. But I have one more year before I can legally do things on my own. I figure by that time, he can't control what I do."

"Nothing's ever a small step for you, is it?"

Sanji swore he'd heard the same thing from Zoro. He ignored it, through, reaching over to run his fingers through his hair, scratching lightly at his scalp. He leaned over and kissed his forehead, taking his time in rubbing his own chin against his eyebrows, just enjoying the sensation of the man's face against his. All in the meantime, he was comparing the physical action of what he was doing now to what he'd done with Nami. That night was full of awkward touches and gentle exploration, but he didn't feel what he felt, now. The girl needed a gentler touch with reassuring expression, and Sanji felt he could do whatever he wanted with Law and have it retaliated in such a way that made physical action fun.

Comparing physical sensation made him wide awake, and the fact that he was doing something he wasn't supposed to made it more exciting. He had to focus on the original request, rather than pushing for something other than what he'd asked for. Hearing Zeff snore in the other room just made him feel a little braver and winning the battle had made him a little more confident.

He leaned in and kissed him gently, wrapping a leg over his and pulling him in close. He used his tongue to gain access, tasting his teeth, drawing his tongue out so he could suckle gently. His body started to warm, and he let go with one hand to grasp one of Law's hands, forcing him to touch him. But the man pulled his head back with a hard swallow, adjusting his position because Sanji had him in such a tight hold.

"I came here to talk about my feelings and express some thoughts, not get man-handled by some young seme on a quest," Law then complained, pulling away from him.

"Whatever that means!" Sanji replied with a grin, following his movement to lay over him. He leaned down and bit very gently on his lower lip, enjoying the feel of being dominant over a man that was clearly taller and physically stronger than he. "Besides, you did the same thing. Don't get hypocritical with me."

Law said nothing because there was nothing for him to say in that line of reasoning, knowing that if he tried, Sanji would only find another way of wanting to prove himself. He reached out and shifted his arms around the teen, forcing him onto his back, laying over him. He kicked the ice packs aside as he shifted himself so that he could push all the hair from the teen's face and hold it back so he could look down in that young face of his.

He could feel the teen's ribs digging into his, his breathing slightly labored with the weight atop of him, but the boy just looked up at him with a sleepy smile and it bothered him that he probably wouldn't see this sight again. He didn't want to address that notion, and instead took the situation as it was.

Whatever Zeff chose to do, he was going to take Sanji out of his reach for awhile. He wasn't going to pretend anything different. He exhaled lightly, saying low, "It's good that you walked away."

"I told you we'd be fine," Sanji said, his hands hesitating as he reached up to grip his sides. "Please have more confidence in me."

"It's not over yet, you shitty brat," Law warned him, leaning down to press his nose up against his hairline, smelling the scent of his shampoo, the soft, musky scent of his skin. It made his blood warm as those two smells caused a sensation of warmth in him. He had no idea what to do with a boy. Reading boys' love manga wasn't a very accurate How-To Manuel but damn, he wasn't going to pass it up when an opportunity was right underneath him.

He wasn't going to rush right in and take it – unknown territory needed to be explored with interest and there needed to be time to take notes. Just as he had the night of their first kiss, he was going to take his time getting to know this new opportunity. He kissed the teen's forehead, then between his eyebrows, feeling Sanji's fingers tighten on him. He eagerly lifted his mouth up to meet his, but Law wasn't ready for that, yet. It made him feel good that Sanji was eager and ready to follow him, that he wasn't the only one in this.

He shifted very slightly to touch the teen's face, to encourage him to close his eyes. Once he felt the soft flutter of Sanji's eyelashes, Law kissed his eyelids, traced the curve of the bridge of his nose with the tip of his, before moving onto one smooth cheek. He kissed his way down that hill to the fuzz of his sideburns, then felt Sanji tense as his breath touched the soft shell of his ear. Sanji turned his head, and Law kissed his ear, drawing his tongue over his earlobe before pulling the soft tissue between his lips. Sanji's skin felt hot and he gave a breathy exhale, cringing a shoulder as his fingers tightened once more, shifting his legs restlessly. Moving from his earlobe to below, Law kissed that sensitive spot there, then shifted to his groomed hairline, strands of blond being shifted aside so he could lick down to his shoulder.

Sanji wanted to return the action, reaching for his shoulders to pull him down, but Law took one of his hands and shifted it aside, the other pulling at the collar of his shirt, lowering it so he could smell and kiss the rigid length of his collarbone. Sanji closed his eyes and enjoyed the feeling, his body so hot and feeling so hard that he needed to do something to alleviate the pressure. So he pushed his hips up and reached between them to adjust his boner, so it wasn't jabbing into the other man. Then he rubbed up against him, feeling his lungs tightening with the need to get more out of this moment.

"You're so damn eager. Just be still, I'm trying to talk to you," Law murmured against his eat, enjoying the teen's restlessness.

"I can't help it. I just need something - !"

"It's not always about touching, there. I like to take my time, okay?"

"I don't know if I have the patience for that," Sanji panted, reaching up to grab his head, pulling him down so he could kiss him. But Law was careful not to give in to that as well, pulling away as Sanji's mouth opened. He covered Sanji's mouth with his free hand, pushing his face to look away from him, so he could repeat what he'd done on the first side with this one. He kissed his way down his cheek, moving down to his ear. He licked the shell with the tip of his tongue, one of Sanji's legs curling around his with surprising strength.

When he gently bit the shell of his ear and licked that as well, Sanji was panting tightly. Law ran his fingers through his hair, the soft strands flowing against his touch, catching briefly in the longer sections that fell around his face. He looked down at the boy, the faint city lights outside the condo giving him full view of his expression. He was red-faced and eager, looking back at him with such an expression that Law found it difficult to look at anything else.

"You're so cute," he heard himself say, touching his nose with a fingertip.

"Don't use 'cute' when we're doing this!" Sanji snapped at him, Law quickly covering his mouth at the volume. Sanji jerked his head away, moving restlessly against him. "Is it my turn to touch?"

"Nope. Still my turn."

"What do I do?"

"Just lay there, looking at me like that."

"I can't - ! I _can't_ , I feel weird - !"

"A good kind of weird?" Law asked curiously, pulling the collar of his shirt down far enough to expose the indenture of his collarbone. He leaned over and pressed a kiss to that, licking it moments later. Sanji's skin tasted lightly salty, the smell of him strong here. He pressed his face up against his throat, feeling and hearing him swallow hard, Sanji reaching up with his hands to bury his fingers into his hair, holding him in place. Very lightly, Law bit and licked there, before sucking a small section of skin between his teeth and lip. Sanji gave a strangled noise, baring his throat, so Law moved onto another section of his neck and repeated the action.

"Wait, _wait_ , no, no, that's bad, don't do that," Sanji managed to say, pushing his face away from his neck with a tight noise.

"Too late. I left my initials there," Law said, touching the faint marks there.

"Stop! I can't cover those!"

"It'll only look like injury from yesterday," Law reassured him, knowing he was lying. He shifted to start kissing his jawline, feeling faint fuzz there, baby hairs that tickled his upper lips. He brushed his lips over the patch of hair he found near Sanji's lips, taking the moment to explore the texture. He was pretty certain that what he was doing, now, was utterly gay. But as he explored the teen's top upper half, he found himself not thinking about anything else. Just soaking in the smell of Sanji, the feel of his skin, the sound of his voice, the texture of his skin, the jab of muscle against his lower hip as Sanji continued to grind against him.

He pushed Sanji's chin up so that he could press a kiss to the pointed part there, then began moving back down to his throat. He shifted his hands from Sanji's hair down to his shirt. Then reached down, and helped him take it off, exposing his upper body to him. He took his time to explore that area as well, running his hands over the feel of his shoulders, the feel of his chest – with promise of muscle and strength already there – and the soft tips of his nipples. Tasting them was fun, Sanji arching up into his face with a shocked noise, his fingers curling into the material of his shirt.

"Take this off so I can feel you, too!" Sanji then demanded, yanking at the shoulders. Law sat up and away from him so that he couldn't, and when he looked down at the flustered teen, he enjoyed the picture. Then he looked at the time, frowning.

"What time does Zeff get up?" he asked curiously.

"Around five," Sanji answered, looking in the same direction as he. Then he growled with frustration, pulling at him to lay back over him. "Hurry up, stop playing around."

"I'm not. This is new for me, too," Law admitted shortly, watching his own hand clasp the teen's left side, moving up over pale skin to cover one nipple before rubbing his palm against the hardened tip. "I'm not rushing anything until I know my enemy."

"I'm not your damn enemy!"

"What are you, then?" Law asked with amusement.

Sanji laid there with a confused expression, holding onto the hand over his chest. "I don't…um, a…well, we're friends, right? Like…overall?"

"I suppose. But do you do this sort of thing with your other friends?"

"Just one other. Well, once. Well - ?"

" 'Well'?" Law repeated with a lift of his eyebrow.

"I mean, well, Nami and I, we fool around sometimes, but…but it's never like this. I know I'm happy about it, but not like this. I feel like I can't get enough of this. You're not giving me enough," Sanji confessed quietly.

"You do realize you're cheating on your girlfriend with me, right?"

"It's not cheating if it's not official."

"Listen to you, making such rational decisions."

"You bastard, don't do this right now! I need more of it! Goddamn it, it hurts!"

"That's life, kid. Life _is_ blueballs."

"Don't be such a bastard, come here, stop talking, keep going!" Sanji whined, reaching for his shirt and pulling on it in an effort to have Law lie over him again. But the man just pulled away, and Sanji heard a strange sound escape himself as he turned on his side with a frustrated expression. "Where are you going?"

"I'd better go before Zeff gets up. Can't get caught here."

" _No_!"

"Look, you're the one always talking about true love and all that, wanting a partner for life, right? So do you think what we're doing now, is that any fair to Nami? What if she was doing the exact same thing here with someone else? How'd you feel?"

Sanji grimaced, covering his face briefly. He felt near tears with the physical pain he felt, the high he'd been riding during all of this, just to have it all come down painfully as he realized how right Law was. He gave a soft moan into his pillow to muffle the sound, frustrated as he gripped the sheets and found some maddening satisfaction in just rubbing his hard on against his own mattress.

"Fine, whatever, jerk! I'll just hump my bed, then, you go home and leave me here!"

"I'll admit it, Sanji, I get easily jealous or frustrated if something doesn't go my way the way I want it," Law said, sitting at the edge. "It pissed me off seeing you so happy with her. But it's not fair to her if we keep this up. Because if you leave me after this just to go wax poetic verses with her, what does that say about you?"

Sanji grumbled, his face flush with heat and emotion. But those words made sense.

"So, are you telling me to choose?" he asked low. "Stay with her? Or go with you?"

Law thought about it. Was he asking that? He stared down at his own clasped hands and realized how ridiculous it would be if he pursued _this_ with a teenager like Sanji. Admittedly, he would like nothing more than to continue this just to see where it went and what else he could get out of it, but that wasn't fair, either. Especially considering that both of them could be leaving again for places unknown due to the world they lived in. How could he expect to commit when he himself wasn't committed to one area?

Sanji looked at him when he was quiet for too long. He sat up slowly, adjusting his boner. It was finally dying away, his body still hot, but the direction of this conversation was taking a different turn. He peered up at the man's face, realizing that Law was lost in thought.

"Well?" he asked impatiently.

"What do you want?" Law asked him, looking at him.

"right now? I can tell you right now, I want everything. I don't know what that is, or what it could mean, but I want it. I guess later on, though, when I think about it, I want to be near you. She could be holding my hand and I'll still be looking at my phone or wondering what you're doing. Is that what this has come to?" Sanji asked, a little scared. "Like, how did it go from us just being friends and suddenly not being able to keep our hands off each other?"

"I don't know."

"I'll admit, I probably won't make any rational decisions because I'll say anything you want if you'd come back to me and keep doing what you're doing," Sanji confessed truthfully. "Maybe later on today, I can give you a definite answer. But one thing's for sure, I want to be with you for longer than this."

"It'd be dangerous. You and I. After all, you're still in high school, you're young, and I'm just…this is my first time doing anything like this, but I can't seem to keep my hands to myself. I don't know what to tell you other than I'm not capable of any rational decisions, anyway. Not about this."

"Then let's just keep doing it! Maybe it doesn't have to be long term, or whatever, but what's happening is just – all I can say is that I want more of it!"

"There are always consequences to taking chance, Sanji. I hate repeating myself, but I'm older than you, I should be making a more intelligent decision to do the right thing when it comes to you."

"It's not just you in this, asshole." Sanji pulled his blankets around his chest, frowning at the floor. "Besides, I'd always admired you for being so…but was it admiration? Or was I looking at you differently the entire time?"

"Admired?"

Sanji searched for the right thing to say, feeling the other man's eyes on him. "Remember when we met at the airport?"

"Oh. Yeah. Hah."

"And when you walked away, I just…I wanted to be just like you, or catch up to you, or…I don't know. And then after that, when we met again, I… I was confused because you made me feel all these weird things."

"You did?"

"Did…did you?"

"To be honest, that's why I left," Law confessed, blushing a little. "Because I didn't know what was happening, and you were illegal."

"Like that's ever stopped you."

"This was different."

"Were we always like this?" Sanji wondered aloud, wide eyed. Law looked confused at that moment as well, no doubt rifling through his memories to look for something that indicated their changing relationship.

Sanji then realized he hadn't heard Zeff's snores in some time. Law must've realized the same thing, because he stood quickly and grabbed his jacket. Sanji drew his blankets over him with haste and suddenly the door slammed open, but Law was gone before Zeff could walk in.

Sanji jerked up with a start, giving a surprised yell because, in the state he was in, he hadn't expected that at all. Zeff looked at him, then around his room with a suspicious expression and Sanji thought he was going to faint from the shock and surprise and near terror of almost being caught in such a compromising position.

" _What are you doing_?" he screeched, voice breaking.

"I thought I'd heard another voice in here," Zeff said, looking for another out of place. "why was your door shut and locked?"

"Oh my god, I'm a teenage guy! Zeff! Sometimes I want privacy!" Sanji exclaimed, feeling red spread from his head to his toes.

Zeff did look a little embarrassed for a moment, eyes shifting to his phone. Sanji realized why, and felt incredibly mortified, but relieved at the same time. He gave an awkward shrug.

"Okay. Well…I have to be extra cautious, now," Zeff mumbled, scratching the back of his head. "Paranoid. Just…well, sorry. Sorry. I'll have the door fixed. Go back to sleep. It's…it's really too early."

" _Damn_ ," Sanji muttered, but he was so grateful for the assumption that Zeff had made. He waited for the man to shut his door behind him as he left, but when he did, he reached up to run his fingers over his lips, thinking about what had just transpired.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: I loved that 'gravity' manga. I lived for Shuichi and Eiri Yuki XD They were my first real romance. (sighs happily) Keep in mind that the Strawhats are still high school and babies still standing on their own – not up to speed or strength in this world just yet!**

 **Jeminaks: :D There's going to be a lot of that happening, I assure you**

 **CrimsonFox19: :D lol!**

 **Guest#1: lol yeah, there's going to be a lot of that – Zeff's man sensing senses are rather keen…but not keen enough**

 **Penumbra: I'm glad it did! The accomplices in the situation will be further dragged down into the road of confusion. Doffy and Cora are practically the devil and angel on your shoulder :D**

 **Guest#2: Read on for more Strawhat/Pirate interaction :D As for Cora and Doffy, they try very hard to be an influence on somebody haha**

 **Showihd1: lol he is definitely taking his time – and such other things will be coming soon enough, omggggggg….*blushes***

 **Chapter Nine:**

 **Tell 'Em A Hookah Smoking Caterpillar…**

Later that morning, Nami pulled Zoro after her as they entered the coffee shop. Once he caught sight of her after serving coffee to a lone customer, Shachi tried throwing the tray at her, but Zoro quickly dispatched of it with his sword as she ducked behind him.

"That was so _cool_!" Penguin laughed, clapping his hands merrily as the halved pieces of the tray sailed into some tables with a loud clatter of sound.

"What the _hell_?" Zoro questioned as Nami stuck her tongue out at the redhead, who growled with frustration.

"Pay them no mind, they're just assholes," she said cheerily, flicking her hair from her face as she looked around. Then she frowned. "Where's the hottie?"

"Ugh, evil girl, he's not in, today. He said it's a serious case of epididymal hypertension, and might die, soon," Shachi said impatiently. "Those are big words, so it's probably just a headache, or something."

Penguin tried not to choke, but he ended up laughing uproariously. "Did he really say that to you?"

"Yeah. Why? What is it?"

"Look it up, bro. I can't believe he said that to you."

Shachi sat down on a stool, sounding out the words slowly as he pulled up his phone's search engine. Penguin looked at the teens. "Anyway, what do you want? We're really busy, today."

Zoro looked around, noting that there was only one person using her laptop, and she was sipping on some tea that Shachi had just served her. He looked back at the two, noting the yellow overalls, with one wearing a beanie with a brim and ear wings pulled practically over his eyes, the other wearing a newsboy cap with polarized sunglasses on. They were averaged sized, lean, but they carried themselves with such light action that he had no doubt they were trained in some sort of martial arts. With how baggy their clothing was, he guessed that they were packing heat of some kind. When he first saw them, they followed Law around like confident puppies, each of them eager to get a word in and looking up at the guy like he was some sort of deity.

He wasn't impressed.

"I just wanted to brag about our exploits," Nami said, leaning on the counter, trying to peer up at Penguin's face, but he blocked her inquisitive hands with a practiced swat. "I'm sure you've heard, by now, what the guys did to Arlong."

"We did. And you all are stupid. What a way to put all of you in danger," Penguin said sternly, hands on his hips. "Especially Zeff. You're not going to feel so happy about it when something happens to him."

"The other day, that surly jerk said something to Sanji. He said something really weird. I wanted to know what he meant."

Penguin slapped Zoro's hand when the teen reached out to investigate the candy jar. Zoro gave him a shocked look, then glowered. "If Sanji-kun hasn't said anything to you about it, yet, then that means he's not ready to talk about it."

" _Really_?" Shachi screeched, looking at his phone. "I can't believe he _said_ that to me!"

"And you're putting it on blast to everyone here!" Penguin guffawed.

" _How_? I have not seen that dude macking on anybody coming through here!"

"You're a dumb ass!"

"I'm so embarrassed!"

"You should be!"

Nami growled, leaning over the counter to regain their attention as they shoved at each other, laughing. "Will you stop _touching_ each other and pay attention? What was this about not involving Zeff? You all made it sound like it was a huge thing!"

"Evil girl, like Penguin said, if Sanji hasn't said anything, then we can't say anything," Shachi said with a sneer. "You and your little green friend can go jump off a building."

"I know Sanji babe has been asking about what syndicates are and everything, but it sounds like there's something else to the story. And I hate to admit it, but Sanji's been kind of secretive, lately," Nami confessed, leaning against the counter. "And with the current events, he can't hang out with us, anymore. Texting and Facetiming has done nothing for me, he keeps changing the subject. So I wanted to talk to the other guy."

"Trust me, he's not interested in talking to you," Shachi told her.

"You guys are real jerks," Zoro said. "We're here because our friend has been keeping things from us, and for some reason, he can't spill it. He's been hanging out around here a lot."

"We can't do anything about it," they said in unison. "We just don't care."

 _Are they twins_? Zoro wondered, frowning at them.

Nami growled, pulling herself up and over the counter, sitting at the edge while pulling out her phone. Shachi used a broom to push her back, and Zoro caught her quickly – relying on him, Nami sat up and showed them a picture she'd taken the other day.

It was of Zeff talking to a pair of men that Penguin and Shachi recognized, cringing. Nami caught the action, pointing at them. "Who is this? And why'd it look like I stumbled onto something I wasn't supposed to see?"

"That's freaking _Crocodile_ and Daz Bones, his number one henchman. They're part of the west side of the city! When did you take this?"

"Yesterday. My family and I were out shopping on that side of the city, and I was going to say 'hi' to Zeff, but Bellemere told me not to. My mother isn't easily rattled, but once she saw this, she hustled us away! Now that we're getting more information on the syndicate world, I found it important that I know as much as I can about everyone involved!" she said, pulling her phone back, proud of herself for capturing such a moment. "As the group of us have taken down Arlong, I understand that we did something groundbreaking to the world. It's now up to me to find out if we should involve ourselves with other sellers. Therefore, I demand to talk to your boss. He seems to know more than you do, plus, I miss his gorgeous face."

"Down, girl. He's very sensitive about his looks. It makes him self conscious when people are looking at him."

" _Hah_!" Nami laughed. "The only reason why you're having such a slow day is because he isn't here. I guarantee you, as soon as he shows up, this place will be packed in no time!"

Shachi and Penguin huffed. "We're good looking guys, ourselves! We can do twice his appearance!"

"Not when your faces are covered, all the time! Now, I'm open to negotiation," she said, slipping away from Zoro's arms. She pointed at him. "My friend here is a master of swordwork. He has three swords, see?"

"Yeah, so what? Swords don't scare us," Penguin snorted. "And you kids are millions of years below us. Shachi's ranked 98. I'm ranked 97. None of your names are on the board."

Shachi looked at him. "Why are you ranked higher than me?"

"Probably alphabetical order. We're actually a tie, but they can't count ties."

Shachi leaned over the register with a suffering sigh. "I'll never get my promotion. I'm ready, _promotion_ , I'm ready, promotion…"

"There are no promotions! And stop singing that damn song!" With a huff, Penguin looked at Nami once more. "So?"

"So my friend has three swords. Do you want to challenge him to an all out battle? You can raise your rank," she said, wiggling her eyebrows.

"It's not official if he's not even recognized," Penguin muttered, looking Zoro over with a scoffing expression. The teen was Sanji's height, but a little more muscular in the upper torso. He seemed like a skinny scamp. His tanned, scarred hands looked confident placed over the three handles of his swords. "It'll just be us picking on some tiny little kid."

"I'm five ten, and you guys look an inch taller than me," Zoro said with a snort. "Maybe ten pounds heavier. It's not that big of a difference."

"Really?" Nami asked, looking at him with a start. "You're just half an inch taller than Sanji babe?"

"On a good day, for him."

"Please, we're eye level to senpai, and technique's more important than muscle strength," Shachi scoffed.

"You guys barely reach his shoulder with your hats!" Nami pointed out. "You're shrimp compared to that hottie!"

"They don't look very sharp, anyway," Zoro said, looking at Nami impatiently. "I'm pretty good at judging a fighter's worth, and these two are not even worth a sweat."

"Hey! Coming from you, kid, that's rather insulting! I'll have you know, we're awesome at taking out tons of guys at once!"

"Pft. I bet I can beat you both at arm wrestling."

"Let's go," Penguin said, rolling up his overall sleeves, Shachi and Nami looking on with interested expressions.

"Look at that weak little arm," Shachi scoffed. "Make light work out of him, yo. And do it quick. I suspect senpai might sneak up on us, again."

Zoro removed his jacket, the woman in the table nearby watching with interest. Nami stood off to the side, waving a couple of napkins around like pom-poms. With a light grin, Zoro rolled up his long sleeves while Penguin stretched out his fingers, cracked his knuckles. When they lined up elbows, Penguin's lips pulled into a concentrative sneer, and Zoro displayed an interested grin. They clasped hands and prepared themselves, Nami placing her fingers between her lips and whistling. Once they started, arms straining, she began cheering for Zoro. Shachi stood at Penguin's back and snarled at him, ushering him to win. The woman at the table left it and walked over for a better look, giggling.

"He's…pretty…strong!" Penguin admitted, grunting as their arms flexed.

"You're…strong…too!" Zoro said, gritting his teeth.

But suddenly Penguin smirked, twisted his hand and slammed Zoro's arm onto the counter with a loud bang.

"Cheater!" Nami howled.

"Nah, fair and square!" Shachi yelled back, arms raised. "We win!"

"Best two out of three!" Zoro snapped, arm up again. "You think you can twink my wrist again? I'm ready for it."

"Technique over strength!" Penguin snapped, both of them resetting themselves. Once they were engaged in strength again, Zoro held his wrist firmly, waiting for the other man to make his move. Shachi and Nami cheered behind them, the woman joining in, and Zoro growled as his strength slowly started to overcome Penguin's. Penguin grimaced and grunted, arm straining until Zoro twisted his wrist and slammed it to the counter. Nami cheered loudly.

"Last one!" Shachi cried. "You lose to this kid, bro, I'm never going to let you live this down!"

"Make that creep pay, Zoro! He doubts your manhood!" Nami shouted, waving her napkins around.

"Not this time, kid!" Penguin said, resetting himself as Zoro grinned, anticipating a hard fight.

Once both of them had each other's arm at a standstill, both of them grunting and straining to hold their position, Nami peering over Zoro's shoulder and shouting at him, Shachi doing the same to Penguin. The woman cheered for them over the display case, all of them focused on the action in front of them.

So no one saw Law walk in from the front, catching sight of the commotion at the counter. He walked up behind Nami and the woman and watched as Penguin and Zoro battled it out, each slowly overtaking the other and managing to turn the tide inches from domination. He sat down at the end of counter, behind the coffee dispenser, and opened up his textbook, a different book smuggled inside, and read the newest How-To manual he'd picked up from the bookstore minutes earlier.

Then he looked at his watch, watching as a few customers ambled in, looking interested in the commotion at the counter. The crowd gathered, watching the match, and he looked at his book again, interested in the fine print.

"You lose this, you're not being paid for two weeks," he then said, causing the main four participants to startle, and somehow Penguin found enough strength to slam Zoro's hand into the counter with a roar of effort.

Shachi cheered, Nami and the unknown woman booing.

"How could you possibly nearly lose to a kid like that one?" Law asked, not looking up from his book.

"When did you come in?" Shachi screeched, hastily taking orders, shooing Zoro and Nami away from the counter as the line started to form. Penguin held his arm, panting, and Zoro frowned, holding his. Both of them growled at each other.

"A few minutes ago. Even if he's a strong kid, that doesn't give you an excuse to lose, at your age. I suggest you do a few extra sets with strength training every two nights."

"Senpai, you're such a jerk."

" _Hi_ ," Nami said, appearing seconds later behind him, hugging his neck from behind and causing him to shrug her off. She repositioned herself with a wide grin, her phone out. Zoro stood nearby with a pout, trying to cross his arms, but the one he'd used was worn with effort. "Long time no see. Did you hear what we did? I'm sure you did."

"Is this truly an accomplishment when certain men lose their lives because you're a pathetic weakling who can't handle her own battle?"

"It's too bad you have no idea what friends are for, considering you don't have any!"

"Senpai! You ass! How dare you use big words with me when describing your personal issues?" Shachi then snarled at him, starting a couple of cups while Penguin hastened off to take orders from the other end of the counter. There were more people coming in, and Zoro watched them all, frowning because Nami had been right. He looked at the man again – there was nothing impressive about him. He didn't even have his sword, and that was all Zoro had come for.

The man was pretty tall, well over six feet, muscular with long legs, an animal print hat, and his overalls were more fitted than the other two, which made Zoro sure that the others were packing. He had a patch of bandages wrapped over one hand, bruising visible just at the wrist, and seemed a little on-edge. While his looks weren't that important to Zoro, Zoro could tell from Nami's uncharacteristic fawning that just the sight of him had women falling all over him. Nami never tried that hard for Sanji, and it was insulting to Zoro because Sanji was always doing so much for her. So he looked on with disapproval.

But what made the situation a little interesting was that this man had Sanji's ring on one pinky, and Zoro would recognize that anywhere. He thought it was a little weird for that.

"Anywho, I came to ask you about Sanji," she said, leaning on the counter with one hip. She was taking hand measurement of his feet, and looking delighted doing so. He wiggled his feet to dislodge her fingers from his shoe. "You were snapping at him for putting Zeff into an uncomfortable position. Sanji's said nothing about that – what's happening with our friend?"

"Is he still alive?" Law asked lazily, turning a page. "Shachi. I need a highlighter."

He caught it as Shachi threw one at his head, and he uncapped it and highlighted the passage he found interesting as he waited for Nami to answer. "You throw like a girl, Shachi."

"Go die, asshole."

"Yes, he's still alive," Nami retorted, annoyed. "You made it sound as if Zeff has a bigger role than we thought in the scheme of things. Like he's involved with the syndicates around here, and, actually, when you said Sanji was stepping in on Zeff's behalf as his grandson, what did that mean?"

"It's not our place to tell you his business."

"You can say that all you want, but does any of it have anything to do with this?" Nami asked, showing him the picture she'd taken of Crocodile and Daz Bones. His eyebrows lifted with interest.

"When was this?" he asked, looking back at his book and highlighting another section.

"Yesterday."

"After?"

"Yep."

"Hey, Penguin, when was the last time Crocodile visited with Zeff?" Law asked curiously, highlighting another section. Nami looked over to see what it was, until he tilted the book up. She wanted to know why he was hiding one book within another, like how Ussop did in class with his comics.

"Over a year ago. After that truce," Penguin said.

"You guys did it, now," Law murmured, looking back at his book, turning a page. "Crocodile was rumored to be one of the first to create the White Rabbit, and if he's visiting Zeff, he's pissed because Arlong was one of his subordinates. That man is easy to piss off if he feels anyone is insulting him."

"So what is Zeff?" Zoro asked, drawn into the conversation. "And how the hell can you guys carry such a loaded conversation in a public place like this?"

"No one's listening. They never do. And Zeff is Sanji's grandfather, I thought you knew that."

"That's not what I meant."

"You guys grew up together, right?" Nami asked Law, leaning over to press a hand over the book he was reading to make him look up. "Was Zeff involved with the Donquixote brothers? Is that why you guys know each other so well?"

"No."

"Then why react so strongly to Sanji?" she pressed. "Did we do something to put him in danger?"

"Yes."

"Then _why_? What's the story?"

"Ask him."

"He won't say!"

"He only recently found out, he's probably still processing it," Law said, closing up his books. "Now, get out of my way. I'm trying to study."

Nami looked at the textbook cover with a low whistle. "Diseases of the world, huh? Are you planning on being a doctor? That's so hot."

"Should we be concerned about him, then?" Zoro asked. "From what I'm getting, Zeff's position is now being questioned because of us."

"On the nose."

"Then that means Zeff has a bigger position than any of us ever knew, and if he just told Sanji about it, then that's because of this thing with Arlong. He always complained he didn't know what was happening out there, and now that he's finding out from other people what this world is about, I knew he'd start digging deeper into things. If he found out about Zeff, then he's not going to talk to us until he has it figured out. Let's go, Nami. There's nothing we can do."

"I like this kid, he figured it out on his own. Now, scat. Shachi and Penguin are trying to work."

"You could help out, too!" they yelled at him.

"I just got here. I need to settle in, first. Besides," he added, plucking his phone from his pocket, "I am having a crisis and I need to get it out of the way before I do anything else. I might create a workplace hazard with my distraction."

"What sort of crisis?" Nami asked, leaning in to look at his phone, which he covered up with a scowl.

"Have you seen Sanji, today, by the way?" Law asked her curiously, scrolling through his phone.

"No. He's been at work since Zeff left, this morning. Why?"

"No reason," he answered, smirking slightly as he pulled away from the stool, carrying his books with him. Moments later, they were packs of napkins that he used to refill napkin dispensers at the tables, leaving the other two to carry out orders.

"Are we done? We're not getting anything else out of that ass," Zoro complained. "And if that's all true, I'd like to go to the restaurant. I'm sure we'd get more answers there."

"I suppose," Nami said with a sigh, angling her phone camera after the man. "He's so delicious."

"I'm sure Sanji would appreciate you oogling his friend like that."

"Oh, please, he gets all knock kneed about Viola, Robin and Perona, sometimes. When I finally find a piece of man meat to admire, I'm going to take my chance. What's the difference in that?"

Zoro grumbled because she was right. Nami took her picture, and they left the coffee shop, catching an Uber to the restaurant.

"Crocodile has a very short fuse," Penguin said with worry. "I wonder if Zeff talked it out with him."

"He could have. With those brats conquering Arlong, he might take it wrong with Sanji's involvement. If he's still alive today, then he must've reached some sort of compromise," Law said, ignoring the playful banter of a couple of women at a table he'd just passed. "I have another assignment for us."

"Thank god, this place has been super slow all day!" Then Shachi scowled, looking over the filling tables. "Until you came in!"

Law shrugged, pulling his hat down low.

"What was your crisis, by the way?" Penguin asked curiously. "And where's Bepo?"

"Bepo is on a super secret mission. Deep undercover."

"Why don't you ever send _us_ on super secret missions?"

"Because you nearly lost an arm wrestling contest to a high school kid, and I fear for your safety as one of my friends."

"Shut up, jerk! Damn you! There's a reason this kid was part of a group that took out Arlong! He had some strength in him!"

"You can't use a Shake-it weight all your life and think that'll do."

"What was your damn crisis?" Shachi asked impatiently.

"Remember when we spoke about yards?"

"Yes. Are you really looking at houses, though?"

"I'm considering buying one, but the realty agent is having trouble with finding value in selling the property to a first time buyer. I'm a very unreliable person, with commitment issues and a bad credit report due to overuse of experimentation in things that weren't of value now, but I'm interested in a long term venture, or even a rental program in which I have the option of returning the house in exchange for something similar in value."

"You never talked about settling down, before, especially out here. What changed?"

"I realized I was looking in the wrong market."

"It's about time, but I thought you were dead set on returning to the other place because of your hot college professor?"

"I might switch teams for awhile."

Shachi dumped his latte, Penguin fumbling with a couple of hot chocolate mugs, much to the customers' dismay.

"Don't say dangerous things!" they yelled at him.

"I knew it. That gravity manga you were reading gave you weird ideas!"

"It was only a matter of time! You sick freak. How can you just decide, _just like that_ , to switch teams?"

"I have a good reason. Right now, I'm researching how-to with a potential partner, and I'm quite excited about it, but I need to wait for his consent. That was my crisis."

Penguin practically wept over his completed beverages. "You say things with a straight face and a matter of fact manner, and it doesn't even bother you that such things are pretty humongous amongst us friends."

"Why?" Law asked curiously. "Would it bother you two if I ventured into another field?"

"It's just _weird_! After playing in the same field for so long, now you want to change it up and play pitcher for the same team?"

"Or catcher. It doesn't matter."

They both dropped their beverages, hot liquid splashing everywhere.

"At this time, I'm willing to wait for the right opportunity. It might be a long wait. Therefore, I was curious about the house."

Shachi propped himself up against the counter, Penguin sitting on the floor with a lowered head. Now they were _really_ confused because it seemed as if he were truly thinking of buying a house, and not using it as metaphor. Their customers just stared at them with bewilderment, unsure if they were going to receive their drinks at all. Law stepped in and started remaking the drinks with casual action, not at all disturbed by their behavior. He thought they were taking it rather well.

"Should we be worried about anything that might be illegal in this?"

"At this time, yes, it's considered illegal. I'm trying to stay on the line of righteousness."

"Your conscious comes in at the weirdest times, but I'm proud of you for your restraint," Shachi muttered, flicking pieces of a broken cup on the floor with the toe of his shoe.

"But I'm losing the battle, to be honest."

"Then be strong!" they shouted at him.

"Have we, uh, have we met...this person?" Penguin then asked curiously, pulling himself back to standing. He instantly began looking for the man that had been giving Law doe-eyes for weeks.

"Yes. But I'm not willing to say who until we clarify a few things. Like I said, it's going to be a long wait. It won't happen over night. I can be patient, though."

Shachi held onto his hat for a very long time. Then it was his turn to sink to the floor, curling up into a fetal position, rocking himself. He knew who it was. _He knew who it was._

"You're just a weirdo, senpai," Penguin muttered, shaking his head. "Why even tell us this, anyway?"

"Because if it happens, I tend to hold onto things I like for a very long time. So you might as well get used to the idea."

Penguin believed him, because Law had that hat of his since he was a kid. And he and Shachi were still following after him, even after all the abuse and trauma they received at his hands. Bepo had been with Law for well over five years. He believed him, so it must have taken a very extraordinary person to turn his elder to bat for his own team.

"Well, okay, if that's what you want. But we better all get along, because it would suck if you allowed a Yoko Ono on us. Shachi, get up, bro! You're in my way!"

"Thanks, Penguin," Law said, reaching out and patting the top of his head. "I knew you'd be understanding. You were always the first to recognize my deviant behavior and ignore it for the long term benefits."

"I'm just here for the promotion, really."

"There are no promotions. We're equals, here."

"Sometimes you're a cool guy, senpai. _Equal_!" he then stressed to Shachi, who just held himself even tighter.

At the restaurant, Nami and Zoro caught sight of their friend serving large tables, and patiently waited to be seated in his section. Once he saw them, he looked at them cheerfully, veering in their direction. Dressed in a side button white shirt, black tie, long black apron and slacks, he moved with a slight limp but he looked in high spirits. Zoro crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair while Nami gave him a half lit smile, used to the attention that he then tossed onto her with special sparkling water and some light snacks, giving Zoro a cup of water after.

Zoro frowned at both of them, but he looked at Sanji impatiently. He noticed that his friend had some dark circles under his eyes, suggesting a lack of sleep. "We got the gist of things from the other guy," he said. "She made me go with her."

"From who? What?" Sanji asked curiously. "Asked what who?"

"Sanji bae, I followed up with Law about that thing he was saying about Zeff, on Friday," Nami said.

"I was going to talk to you guys about it, but, well, other things came up, so, I just haven't gotten to it, yet," Sanji said, reaching up to rub at the back of his neck as he looked away from them with a guilty expression. Nami tilted her head with a suspicious frown, then reached up, jabbing at his neck.

"What are these?" she asked sharply. "These don't look like injuries. They look like hickies, again!"

"Nami, Kuroobi has hair that he used as a whip, he used it on me a few times," Sanji said hastily, sweating, and Zoro watched him with surprise, knowing that he was lying. _Again_.

"Sometimes I wonder, Sanji. You hide your phone from me, now. In the space of time that you _do_ have available, you're not around," Nami said, with just a trace of frustration. She held onto her phone with both hands and tried not to react abnormally, but in the midst of the chaos, she was feeling things she hadn't yet voiced. "Your behavior changed since we had sex the other night."

" _Oh my god_ ," Zoro muttered.

"It _has_! It has, it absolutely has! Was that all you were trying to get from me?" Nami asked Sanji, much to the curiosity of customers around them. "You're just going to take what you want and run off with someone else?"

"Let's talk about that later," Sanji muttered, looking guilty. "Do you guys really need a menu? Or do you trust me to make a decision for you?"

Nami waved him off, and Zoro nodded, Sanji hurriedly slinking away. Zoro looked at Nami with a frown.

"I didn't give him those," Nami said with a frown. "We haven't done anything since that night. He hasn't been treating me, the same! He's going to someone else."

"Does it matter?" Zoro asked, embarrassed about the subject. "Look, I didn't come with you today to witness this bullshit, we were asking about other things."

"I know," she grumbled, leaning on the table with an elbow. "Like, it doesn't matter to me if he's seeing someone else, but it matters that he changed after we did this, so, it's like – I feel hurt and insulted."

"I guess it's okay if you feel that way. But I don't feel sympathy for either of you. You treat him like shit, and it's unfair of him to keep treating you like his one and only when he's obviously messing around with someone else."

"Who do you think, Zoro?" she asked curiously, leaning on the table. "Anybody from school?"

"No. I don't know. He's always with me at school. If it's not with me, it's with you. Or Luffy or Ussop. We all talk to the same people. So if he is, it's someone away from school."

"Somebody from the coffee shop? He's always there! Maybe he met someone else in there!"

"I don't know, and I don't care. That's not important, right now."

"Now, I'm curious. Is she better looking than me? Is she older? Maybe one of his followers from Instagram," she muttered, drawing out her phone and finding the app. "I'm going to stalk each and every one of these chicks and send them a DM."

Zoro sighed heavily, wiping his hands over his eyes with annoyance. When he looked through them, he saw that Zeff and a couple of other cooks were leaving the back in everyday suits. He looked pretty intense, and Zoro noted that some of the other patrons in the restaurant saw the same thing.

By the time Sanji came back with their meals, Zoro forgot all bout that. He looked down at the medium rare steak with finely sliced vegetables over wild rice. Nami's was a soup with a decedent salad, and she clapped her hands with approval, before taking a photo of their plates and posting to her various media sites.

"This looks so good!" she exclaimed. "How long do you work, today?"

"All day," Sanji muttered dejectedly. "I'm going to be here every weekend, Nami. Every evening, until he lets up. I'm just happy he gave me my phone, back."

"That sucks," Nami then said, frowning up at him while Zoro cut and tore into his food with a look of cheer. "What sucks even more is that you're still able to go out and get that done to your neck when you can't even make time to see us."

"I apologize, I really do, but really, I knew what the consequences were going to be when I walked up with you guys that day," Sanji said with a tired sigh. "I knew he'd tighten the leash. I'm just glad I get to see you guys for this much. It's been a busy day, and it just started."

"So, yesterday, when Bellemere took me and sis out to go shopping, I got this," Nami said, showing him the photo on the phone.

Sanji shrugged. "I don't know who that is."

"You don't? Law did. He said – "

"Why did you go see him, anyway?" Sanji asked with a frown.

"Because you're not telling us anything!"

"I just found out, Nami, sweetie, I don't know how to deal with it, myself. Once I do, I'll talk to you guys about it, but it's been really busy, lately, I'm sorry," Sanji apologized before hurrying off to tend to another table.

"You're real classy," Zoro told Nami with a mouthful. "Way to start shit."

"Zoro, if you ever find yourself in this predicament, talk to me then. But for now, don't judge until you've taken a mile in my shoes," Nami said to him, picking at her salad, first. "I'll be honest, like I said before, I felt a little hurt because he changed. At the same time, I'm intrigued, because it looks like he's giving his attention elsewhere, when I've had it all this time. So I want to know who it is that's better than me, or who's giving him what I'm not."

"Same thing."

"In the meantime, it looks like we've been foiled. This time. I could go and ask Zeff, but I haven't seen him, yet."

"He left awhile ago. With some guys"

"Damn." Nami pulled up her phone. "What do we know about this Crocodile guy?"

"Just that he's an extra creepy Captain Hook."

"Who's his Peter Pan, then?"

Zoro made a shrug and a face at the same time, cleaning off his plate.

Nami studied the picture for a few moments, then texted quickly. "I'll ask someone else about it. I think if there's a bigger picture happening beyond our eyes, Zoro, we need to know as much as possible. What if we'd really endangered Zeff and Sanji? Whatever Zeff is, and he just now told him about it – wait."

She gasped, slapping her phone down on the table, causing Zoro to choke on the last of his water. "Arlong had mentioned he was interested in taking down a Top Rung! What if it were _Zeff_ he were talking about? I wonder if Zeff's position is so big that that's why Law was freaking out on Sanji the other day, before we rolled up to Arlong's property. If that's so, and he just now told babe about it, then that's probably what Sanji is still dealing with."

"Like Zeff is part of the syndicates?"

"Exactly!"

"That's kinda cool."

"No, it's not! All this time – _Zoro_! What if this restaurant is just a cover, and they're actually serving crime families!" Nami gasped, looking around herself.

Zoro looked about, then scoffed. "Don't let that imagination get out of hand, witch. "They're all normal people, here."

"Sanji!" Nami then shouted, waving her arm to catch his attention. With his hands full, Sanji was quick to respond to their direction, veering over with a careful whirl. "We figured it out! Zeff is head of his own syndicate, isn't he? Arlong was talking about taking him out, I just guessed it!"

Sanji shrugged, looking awkward. "All I know, to be honest, is that he does hold a delicate position in that world. And because of our actions, he's in danger of retaliation. I don't know all the details. Yes, and that's part of the reason why I have to stick close to him."

"So, what is Law and his ragtag group about?" Nami asked curiously. "They know about Zeff, so, what's their position? I know it has to do with White Rabbit experimentation, but what else do they do? Are they associated with Doflamingo and Corazon?"

"No. I'm not sure what he does."

"Does Zeff know what he does?"

"Let's just say they don't get along, either," Sanji said with a sigh, walking off.

"Curiouser, and curiouser," Nami murmured. "Are they opposition, then? If he's not associated with the Donquixote family, then what is he?"

"I'm getting a headache," Zoro complained.

"To be honest, I had no idea it'd blow up this way," Nami said, leaning chin on palm, elbow to table as she drummed her fingers along the plate, creating a clacking noise that grate on Zoro's nerves. "If we'd known these ties a lot sooner, I'm sure I would've gone about the drug running thing a lot differently. I had no idea we'd be stepping on so many feet at once."

"Me, either, but I think it's not up to us to handle the situation," Zoro said, leaning back in his chair. "I think that once Sanji figures it out for himself where he stands in all this, then we should step back and see what happens."

"But what if something happens that we could've stepped in to stop? What if he's targeted because of us?" Nami asked fearfully.

"I don't think Zeff would allow anything to happen to him. If he's keeping him close to him, then I think he'll be okay. I've never seen anybody step up to the old man. He might not look it, but he's an intimidating guy."

"He's a little rough, but could he be, at his age, against guys like this one?" Nami asked, looking at Crocodile and his subordinate with worry. "This guy looks really mean. And crafty. But look at all that jewelry he's wearing…mmm, I bet he's loaded!"

"Once again, I think we should let them figure it out, and if Sanji wants us involved, he'll involve us. Right now, he doesn't even know what's going."

"I want to find out who he's seeing on the side," Nami muttered, frowning. "Is she prettier than me? Older?"

"Hey," Zoro called out, seeing Sanji emerge back onto the dining floor once more, coming their way with a pitcher of water. "I'll text you later."

"Okay, but Zeff has my phone, right now. I don't know where he is, so I don't know if I'd be able to respond any time soon," Sanji confessed, pouring water into his cup.

"Oh, well, I guess I'll see you at school tomorrow, then."

"I'll be home late tonight, though."

"I'm always asleep by nine-thirty."

"You're such an old man," Sanji snickered.

"Whenever you get the chance, text me," Nami said, money on the table. Zoro scowled at her, because it looked like he'd be paying for a majority of it. He grumbled as he pulled out his wallet and laid out a few twenties. Sanji threw their money back at them, insulted as he picked up their plates.

"I'll see you guys later!" he said, Nami snatching the money hastily and running out before Zoro knew what happened. Then he chased after her with an angry yell.

Once outside, something caught his eye. When he looked, he realized he was seeing the polar bear from the other day sitting patiently against the back of the restaurant, watching videos on his phone. It was such a puzzling sight that he stood there with a dumbfounded look until the bear realized he was being watched. He waved at Zoro, and Zoro waved back, catching himself with a grumble.

 _So that's how it is, huh_? He thought, resuming his chase after the money thief.

By the time Sanji and Zeff returned home later that evening, he was bushed. Sanji took a shower, then went to bed, noting that his phone had blown up with various notifications throughout the day. He answered as many texts as he could, apologizing for the late answer. Zeff had people over to fix his door, and he looked over at the repaired doorframe, the replaced door. He then set his phone aside, too tired to stay up any longer, even as his phone buzzed with more activity.

When he woke up later, it was because Law was climbing into bed next to him, looking just as sleepy as Sanji felt. The teen felt warm and fuzzy and happy because the man pulled him up against him and went back to sleep without anything to say, and Sanji was too tired to do anything, anyway, so he cuddled up against his chest with a content sigh. In the morning, he woke up alone, and he had to wonder if it were a dream. But he rubbed his eyes and grumbled because he missed out on an opportunity to fool around again. Grumpily, he found his phone and looked at it, reading all the texts from last night. Then he sent only one in response.

'You could've woke me up. I couldn't wait to see you again.'

Then he got up from bed, uncomfortable with himself, and got ready for school. Later on, as he met Zoro in front, he received a text back. He reddened considerably as he saw that it was a picture taken of him while he was sleeping. The only thing accompanying it was a heart and a big grin emoji.

"Weirdo," Zoro commented, looking at him strangely.

"Hi hi hi hi hi hi hi hi," Sanji said to him in response, pulling his tie loose, adjusting the collar of his shirt while he put his phone away. He felt it vibrate against him a few more times, so while Zoro stood there looking at him with a bewildered expression, he yanked it back out and saw that Law had texted, 'couldn't sleep with you rubbing up against me all night.'

Sanji was embarrassed when he realized he was getting a raging hard-on just thinking about it, and he took an uncomfortable seat on the sidewalk against the school sign, Zoro just staring down at him. Hating his easy to react hormones, Sanji pulled at his collar again, feeling overheated and obvious as he tugged at his blazer and pulled his messenger bag over his lap with discomfort.

But he looked at his phone and texted back furiously, 'I wasn't rubbing!'

'It was really hot. Even in your sleep, you're a thirsty little freak.'

"Do I need to hose you down?" Zoro asked Sanji as he practically blew his top. "Is that an angry expression, or a dying one? What is happening here?"

" _Nothing_!" Sanji wheezed, trying to fan himself. "Mia K just released a new video."

"So you're perving on it in front of the school where everyone can see you?"

"I blame my damn teenage hormones."

Zoro looked thoroughly disgusted with him.

'Maybe I'll come over later. There's something I want you to do.'

"Like what?" Sanji asked aloud, texting back rapidly. His sudden interest had not helped his situation, any.

'I can't say over the phone.'

"Oh my god, I'm going to die," Sanji then said with frustration, wiping sweat from his face as Zoro waved off concerned glances from their classmates.

'But technically, I won't be touching you.' Followed by a big grin emoji.

Sanji considered skipping school for the rest of the day.

'Text me after Zeff goes to bed.'

All Sanji sent was a thumbs up, and he set his phone aside, covering his face. Zoro considered kicking him because it looked like Sanji was going to expire right there on the sidewalk.

"You're such a gross pervert," he complained. "I'm sure that woman hasn't done anything unusual or that hasn't been done yet."

"Hi!" Luffy and Ussop said, looking down at Sanji in concern. "What's this?"

"Perving out."

" _Sanji_! In front of the school?" Ussop asked in dismay.

"It started early," Sanji groaned, hugging his knees.

"Looks contagious," Luffy said with a frown.

"It can be. With certain people."

"Ew."

"Anyway, so we had an interesting day yesterday," Zoro told Luffy.

"Ah, yeah! Nami told us in a group text," Luffy said, showing him. "What's this about, Sanji?"

"Do I have to think about that, right now?" Sanji asked, not wanting to think about anything other than what was planned for tonight. He wished he'd been awake, last night. His hormones were completely taking over every ounce of rational thought. Nothing seemed to matter more than continuing his exploration with the older man. He fanned himself, trying to think of every disgusting, unpleasant thing he could think of.

Ussop and Zoro continued to stare down at him with expressions of varying disgust, Luffy texting with a happy face.

"Well, now I'm kinda curious," Luffy said after, putting his phone away. "Because if we did one thing just to have another thing done, like, what is it? Will we be fighting again, sometime soon?"

"More than likely," Zoro said seriously. "Even if it isn't on this guy's behalf, we've made an impact. People know that we can take out guys like Arlong."

"And who's not to say that Arlong will want to retaliate? Like, what if he sends out guys to do so?" Ussop asked with worry. "If he's part of a larger group, then there's going to be others interested in it."

"What position does Zeff have in this world, Sanji?" Luffy asked curiously.

Sanji sighed. He figured telling them now would help his current state. He just could not get the thought of what Law wanted from him out of his mind.

"Well, apparently Zeff and I aren't related. We came to the states after my real family was killed by another group. Um, they were…they were used as assassins, and somebody got butt hurt about the amount of power they had. Anyway, when he came here, he created his own – but it doesn't sound like he's head of his own syndicate – it sounds like he's one of the very few that enforce their behavior. He said 'contains' them, not control them."

" _Whoa_ ," the three said, with varying expressions of surprise and awe.

"And he just now told you that?" Ussop asked.

"Yes. Because of this thing with Arlong. And Law. For some reason, Zeff does not like Law at all. There was an incident the other night where – and he said he got away with his life, and that was it, but…he's not associated with the Donquixote brothers, even if he's related to them," Sanji added, feeling okay to straighten out his legs. "But that same night, after I left your house, mosshead, I went looking for him. I saw something of a confrontation between the brothers and Zeff, but all I know was that something happened where they both came from it with ruined hands, and Cora's been lingering near Law after the lab bust."

Zoro nodded, recalling the bandaging he'd seen yesterday, and Zeff's hand as well.

"I don't know what was said, I don't know what the situation was, but all I know is that Zeff runs a bigger picture, and everyone just falls in line with it in order to maintain operation. He said he was very close to retirement when this happened – he didn't want me involved in it at all, but… I can't say 'no' or ignore it if one of you guys has something going on."

" _Wow_. How did we go from worrying about winter break finals to learning that your grandfather runs the syndicate world, and, oh, yeah, you have assassin blood running through your perverted veins?" Ussop asked, crouching at the knee.

"Well, we weren't going to stay unknown from that world for very long, anyway," Luffy said, fist made. "The more fights we have on the street, the stronger opponents we'd go searching for, right, Zoro?"

"Yep."

"So, eventually, we'd make our way into that life, anyway. Maybe not doing all the bad things like everyone else is doing, but fighting our way through it because of the sheer joy of it!"

"Eventually, we'll need a plot for this story," Ussop told Luffy with concern, as the bell rang. "Not just mindless fight smut."

"Oh, Ussop, have some fun for once in your life. Don't worry about those kinds of things."

At work right after school, Sanji watched as Zeff readied himself to leave. It was highly unusual of him to do so, but he guessed with some reluctance that the only reason why he was doing so was because of the situation.

"Finish your work here, I'll pick you up in the evening," Zeff told him, handing him his phone. "Call me if you feel uncomfortable in any way."

"Okay," Sanji said with uncertainty, slipping the phone into his shirt pocket. Then he watched him leave, wondering if he should feel any other way about the situation. Zeff never allowed him with his phone on the floor, and he looked rather stressed out. He lingered in the doorway of the side exit as he watched him approach his car, and caught movement from the corner of his eye. Once he realized it was Bepo sitting near the stack of empty pallets and dumpster, watching his phone, Sanji felt a little better about the situation. he waved at him, and Bepo waved back.

Later that night, he had just finished cleaning up a table when he noticed a flurry of activity from the cooks. Most of the customers had just left for the night, and he was just cleaning tables, preparing them for tomorrow's breakfast rush. There were a few lingering at the smaller tables, but they had requested checks from their servants and were preparing to leave. The cooks were leaving the kitchen, with Carne and Patty coming up to the front with angry expressions.

When he looked, he realized Crocodile had come in with his number one standing close by, a group of men lingering behind them. His cigar was lit and he scanned the restaurant with an indifferent expression as Carne and Patty approached him. The man stood grandly in a heavy winter jacket with fur-lined lapels, a sharp three piece suit with a striped tie, heavy jewelry on his fingers, and the golden hook peeking out from underneath the jacket. His black hair was slicked back to reveal every inch of his scarred face, eyebrows lifted just slightly as he scanned the restaurant.

"We're closed for the night!" Carne snapped at him.

"But it's not yet ten," Crocodile told him, clearly not taking any hints. "Party of seven. Biggest table you got. And get those mitts moving, I had a long day."

"Go into the back," one of the older waiters instructed Sanji, who began to do so reluctantly. But Crocodile stopped him, pointing at him with his good hand while Daz Bones carefully removed his jacket to hold.

"I want that one to serve me," Crocodile said, gesturing at Sanji. "If Zeff isn't here to wait on me personally, then I want the next best thing."

"He's done for the night," Patty said, crossing his arms tightly. "The kid's gotta run home and get his homework done. And put that shit out. We don't allow that kind here at the restaurant. I don't care who you are."

Crocodile looked at him for several moments, lip curling with a sneer around his cigar. "Small fry, are you looking to piss me off? Because I can go from zero to one hundred in a second."

"It'll be fine," Sanji said quickly, hurrying over to start shifting chairs and tables around. "Just get the kitchen going, you two. What sort of refreshments are you looking for, you oily bastards?"

"I want the sommelier's opinion. I haven't been to this dump in ages," Crocodile said, waiting for the table to be set. Once he saw the customers hastily making their way to the exit, he told Daz Bones. "Lock it up. I want to dine in peace."

"It's not up to you - !" Carne started to say, but Sanji snapped at him, "Less customers I have to deal with! Hurry up! Get your worthless ass to the stove! Or do you want me to do that, too?"

"Shitty little brat! Gus-Gus! Steven! Jones! Help the kid out," Carne then ordered, gesturing at a few of the older waiters lingering nearby. Once Crocodile's party began to seat themselves, the head of the group taking a chair at the table with his cigar still smoking, Sanji patted his phone with reluctance.

Half hour later, he was helping unload steaming plates onto the table in front of the party, Crocodile looking at his meal with a curl of his lips. He dashed ashes onto a plate nearby, Daz watching him with a frown.

"Where's the old man? I have a complaint," Crocodile then told Sanji, his low, deep voice moving through every word as if it were a stroll. With how slow and threatening he spoke, his henchmen were quick to leap at his every command. Except for Daz, who seemed very patient as he neatly unfolded his napkin. "This meat isn't red enough. I asked for rare, not broiled to charcoal."

"My apologies, you stoogy bastard, I'll have it fixed right away. In the meantime, would you like a refill?" Sanji asked quickly, picking the steaming plate up and holding it with the tips of his fingers away from the table.

"I would like another bottle. This one isn't dry enough," Crocodile said, making a waving motion at the glass he'd been using. "When is Zeff expected back? I'm getting impatient."

"I'm sure he'll be due here at any moment."

"Isn't that plate hot?" Crocodile asked him. "You're not using any gloves."

"Any one in the kitchen afraid of heat shouldn't be in there in the first place, sir."

"Ah, makes sense. Now, an obvious question. Who are you?"

"My name is Sanji. Nice to meet you. I'm your server for the rest of the evening."

"No, I know what your _name_ is, but all I'm asking is _who are you_?"

"I just told you, you bastard. And you already know who I am, if you've familiar with Arlong. Just look it up. Or if you want to follow me in on Instagram, Twitter, or even on Snapchat and Kik, I can write my at addresses down for you. But it looks like you're too old to even know what means."

Crocodile gave him a frown. "Most of that shit sounds like something Doflamingo would say. _Irritating_. Tell me, kid, with all the unexpected commotion in the area, does your grandfather truly trust that you'll be safe on your own?"

"I don't know what that means," Sanji said with a smooth lie. "What's dangerous in a restaurant besides the unhappiness of our customers?"

"Are you playing dumb, or are just dumb? Because that ignorance of yours sounds forced."

"To be honest, sir, your familiarity with my grandfather is something I don't know about. I don't know you. I don't know enough about you to treat you with any fear or respect. You're just a customer that's hard to please, and I'm doing my best to accompany you. Here's your replacement," he then said, gesturing at Jones, who hastily brought over another plate with the steak Crocodile requested. Jones then took the plate from Sanji, but he was using cloth to do so. The sommelier quickly showed Crocodile his next few choices, the cart rattling behind him.

Crocodile frowned at him, but he looked over his meal with a critical eye. "I requested no tomatoes. Is it that hard of a concept?"

With a fork he snatched from Daz, Sanji plucked out the offending vegetables. Crocodile's face tightened, and he looked up at the teen with a hard press of his teeth.

"Removed. Is there anything else you'd like?" Sanji asked him impatiently.

"Is this what Zeff finds acceptable? If you worked for me with this sort of behavior, I'd have you removed. Piece by piece."

"Well, I don't work for you. I work here. Anymore shit requests before you allow me to least get my goddamn essay finished for tomorrow?"

"Tell me, boy," Crocodile said, picking up his napkin and unfolding it over his lap with easy grace. He then removed his cigar, setting aside on the plate he'd been using as an ashtray. He picked up his salad fork, and separated vegetables from his pasta. "How did it feel removing Arlong from his place of business?"

"Pretty good."

"And blowing up his lab?"

"We didn't do that. We just hit Arlong for keeping us under his thumb for as long as he did. You want to talk about feeling butt hurt, let's talk about that. He promised us we were near our goal, at least five times. It was obvious he lied to us. He intended on keeping us there for quite a long time. How is that honorable, not keeping a promise?"

"Fair enough. He should have been outright and told you that he intended on keeping all of you on until he was either ran out of town, or he cut his own hand off in the process."

"Is that what happened to you?"

Crocodile lowered his fork, looking at him sharply. The golden hook on his lap trembled just slightly as he looked for offence on the teen's face. But he was only looking down at the appendage with curiosity.

"Let me ask another question. _Who_ was it that hit our lab?"

"I don't know. Look, to be honest, all that's on my mind lately is girls and school. Since none of this stuff is either of that, I don't know what else to tell you. You keep asking all these questions like I know anything, and I don't. Now, if you have any food related requests, then ask. But for now, I'm going to sit over there and get this stupid essay done."

"Most men fear inciting my wrath," Crocodile told him, fork lowering back to his plate.

"Like I said, I don't know you, so I don't fear or respect you. You're just another picky customer."

"First lesson, you'll stop talking to me in such an uncouth manner," Crocodile said, reaching out and snatching his arm. "Next, you'll do well to respect a man of my nature the next time I walk through that door. Is this understood?"

Sanji tried not to cry out with shock as he watched his arm wither dangerously, sand particles crawling over his skin until Crocodile released him. He stared with frozen reaction as his fingers curled uselessly, bones crunching slightly with the action.

"Here, here," Gus-Gus said quickly, dumping a pitcher of water over that arm. In moments, it was back to its normal state, and Sanji exhaled tightly, shocked that it had happened in the first place. But instead of reacting the way that Crocodile had aimed for, with fear, Sanji's face reddened and his eye widened with fury.

Zeff appeared at that moment from the back, and Sanji relaxed with forced air as his grandfather approached him. Crocodile looked pleased.

"Ah. About time. I was just telling your grandson here that his insolence was not appreciated."

"The next time you lay a hand on him, you'll regret it."

"Your words are useless to me, old man. You've only one leg, I've only one hand. And your grandson has only one life," Crocodile said, smirking. "Now that you're here, maybe someone will listen to my complaints. This food is crap. Maybe some intelligent conversation will help me swallow it a lot easier."

"Go home," Zeff told Sanji, pushing him towards the back. Rubbing his arm, Sanji frowned at him, then at Crocodile, but he noticed that the cooks who weren't cooking were gathered in at the front. Sensing trouble, he lingered near the kitchen, watching as Zeff pulled up a chair near Crocodile.

Carne pushed him into the kitchen with an impatient grumble. "Listen to your granddaddy. He's saying it for a reason."

"Is something happening?" Sanji asked him, not budging.

"Just conversation. Crocodile wouldn't do anything rash to Zeff. Trust me."

Sanji stayed for a few moments, then started to look back out just to reassure himself of this, but Carne dragged Sanji towards the side exit door and shoved him out, much to his irritation. Once the door slammed shut, Sanji stood at the steps, exhaling heavily. He rubbed his arm, noting how dry and blistery it looked, skin peeling back. With a wince, he scratched at the loose pieces, turning and making his way towards the front. He noted the cars parked there, of men that looked to belong to Crocodile. All with shiny rims, blackened windows, and impatient faces that looked ready to move. He felt scared and uncertain, swallowing hard as he wondered if Zeff was truly safe.

He turned to make his way to the back, to go back inside with the intentions of sneaking around just to listen when he bumped into Bepo. Bepo held onto his arms, and suddenly they weren't standing outside the restaurant anymore. He jerked away from the bear with a panicked sound, and realized they were standing across the street, near the golf course that opened up to the city beyond it.

"Settle, mini-Zeff," Law told him calmly, Shachi and Penguin standing nearby in black clothes. All three of them looked ready to battle, Penguin holding his sword for him. But to be honest, it looked like Shachi was moments from fainting, his comrade looking at him with concern.

"What are they doing?"

"Just talking."

"They've surrounded the place!"

"Yep. Looks like it. Trust your grandfather. He's got it under control."

Sanji rubbed his arm again, feeling apprehensive. "What's his problem, anyway? He doesn't know who hit the lab. He was asking me about it."

"Huh. I thought it was pretty obvious. Guess we didn't make a big enough name for ourselves as I thought." Law then looked at his phone, then slipped it into his back pocket. "Bepo."

Once the bear held him again, Sanji looked at Law with consternation before he found himself standing in his own kitchen.

"I'm sorry," Bepo apologized to him, leaving his side and hastily running out the front door. Sanji growled, pulling his phone from his pocket and sending a series of angry texts.

But all he got in response was a thumbs up emoji.


	10. Chapter 10

**Thanks for the reviews! :D**

 **Chapter Ten:**

… **Has Given You The Call**

Later that night, when Zeff returned home, Sanji was up to meet him immediately, looking for anything out of place. Zeff just frowned at him, looking at the clock. "It's late."

"That guy was intense!" Sanji said, noting the hard furrow of Zeff's eyebrows. He looked pretty angry. But the old man removed his jacket and neatly folded it, put it away in the side closet near the front door. He removed his shoes and set those aside as well.

Then he sat down in one of the chairs of the living room, giving a harsh exhale. Sanji followed after him, sitting across from him, waiting for him to say something.

"Crocodile is an intense man," Zeff admitted slowly, reaching up to draw his fingers over the long braids of his mustache. He spoke with hesitation, words leaving him reluctantly. He looked at Sanji for some time, frowning as Sanji looked at him with concern.

It seemed like only weeks ago when Sanji was looking at him with bored, teenage defiance when Zeff enforced curfews and lectured him on better study habits. Now Sanji was looking at him with a different expression, wanting to know more about this world Zeff had to introduce him to. The teen's curiosity made him reluctant to share after years of keeping it to himself. He exhaled heavily once more.

"He's very upset about the loss of their labs, and about Arlong's arrest. He loaned the man money, you see, and gave him access to the mineral needed to mass produce his share of White Rabbit. Arlong produced a crummy version of White Rabbit in order to make Crocodile's supply a more uncontaminated formula. In return, Crocodile provided him construction opportunities. Crocodile's rule is more of a gambling sort – he runs the casino on the west side of the city, and as a result, he tends to sell to celebrities and high rollers here in this town. Both he and Arlong have a mutual understanding of business, and will scratch each other's backs when possible. But Arlong will sell information for a deal, Crocodile knows it. With the loss of the lab, Crocodile feels that Arlong may have betrayed him – he's already with his hand under the surface of the water, waiting for Arlong to bite. And when he does, Crocodile will take his head off."

Sanji thought about it for a moment. "He's going to kill him while he's in jail just to protect his secrets. And when that happens, Arlong's allies will go after Crocodile."

"Yes. When one domino falls, others follow. Everything and everyone was in careful balance. They were contained. Now that an injustice has happened from the inside, everyone inside of the web is running about with their hands up in a panic, attacking anything that moves." Zeff growled with frustration. "That brat of Corazon's has hit too hard in the center of things by destroying labs, and those brothers turn a blind eye because it benefits them – these groups have to buy their weapons from somebody. They might not be producing the White Rabbit, but they're causing enough chaos from the center of the web to damage the supports that had helped them to where they are, now."

Uncomfortably, Sanji looked at his hands. Now that he was in understanding more of this new world, he was startled to realize just what he'd been walking over himself while under Zeff's care. "Well, there was no other way to go about it, Zeff! We'd still be running that shitty stuff to classmates! Since it's gone, everyone – "

"Has shifted to buying from another supplier, right? Who do you think is reaping in the benefits?" Zeff asked him sharply.

"Um, well…I don't know. I don't know – "

"The closest supplier is Doctor Hogback, and his subordinate, Absalom."

"I don't know who that is."

"You wouldn't. Bastard scumbags. After that is the crooked bastard X-Drake and his subordinate, Ashley. Poser Musketeers. After that is Kreig and his subordinate, Gin. Those are the four main suppliers of White Rabbit. There are smaller individuals with their own batches, but because they are smaller dealers, they aren't that much of a threat to the bigger manufacturers. Their drug is usually the crappy sort, usually inactive substances they use to sell along with other recreational materials. They're rats, scavenging for scraps from the bigger groups. All together, these groups run their organizations in the city."

"And you…enforce them? Keep them in line?"

"Yes. They can have their silly little games, but under order, as to keep from growing into a power climb that will cancel each other out and cause discomfort to the city. If all of them work in tandem, they can supply themselves with their riches and their position, acquiring power whenever they find fit to their needs, but if either of them reach out of line, I am there to either force them back into line, or drop them into the harbor to replace them with another. This world is something that has always been there – in order to allow it to breathe, it's necessary to supply rules to keep it running. I'll not allow any power to grow unequal to another. Therefore, with Arlong's position empty, the others will fill it with a share of power, but Crocodile is the type of man to become restless and impatient, and he's already causing discord to the others because he suspects Arlong will betray him."

"Oh," Sanji muttered.

"As you can see, this web is fragile. So when someone comes in and pokes at it, the supports holding it aloft will tumble, and all the spiders working hard on keeping themselves in line will either attack each other, or those the web lies under."

" _Ugh_ ," Sanji cringed. "Why that metaphor? Sick. Yuck. I have goosebumps already. Thanks a lot."

"Ah, yes, your weeny tendencies towards eight legged creatures has not dissipated at all."

"Shut up, old man. Shit." Sanji then heaved a sigh. "And this was something you wanted to do?"

"As I'd worked for your family many years ago, I was already knowledgeable of such things. When I came here and was pulled into it, I knew what my role was. I wanted everyone to play fair. So I made sure of it."

"You can play in the sandbox, but under my rules, huh?"

"Exactly."

"What gives you so much power to do this?"

"Not every king can give away their secrets. And you, you little shit, keep your foot out of it! I'm cleaning up the mess you left behind with this Arlong business, but if you continue investigating the edges of the water, you'll find yourself pulled in by someone's teeth. You understand?"

"I guess."

"This is why I grew angry when I realized you were playing around with that kid, again," Zeff muttered, and Sanji reddened, looking at his hands guiltily. He had the sudden thought that Zeff suspected of his somewhat relationship with Law, wondering if he'd heard anything. But then Zeff said, "There was nothing worthy about what he could give you. That brat was raised by hungry wolves, and it makes senses that he takes up their hungry habits. I don't want that sort of influence on you."

 _Oh, too late_ , Sanji thought with a cringe, quite aware that he was hungry for something else entirely.

"There's nothing good of this world for you," Zeff repeated himself. "Stay out of it. You have goals that you should be able to reach if you'd keep your nose out of his business, and mine. One day, someone will catch up to him and do to him what I could not finish. It might even be his own family. Corazon is no match against his brother if Doflamingo decides he wants more. His weapons dealing is giving them just enough to live grandly of the others' conflict, but I know that wolf has eyes for a bigger piece. Which is why I call bullshit on their supposed blind eye towards their son! The bigger mess he causes with the destruction of the labs, the more they profit!"

Sanji sighed tightly.

"This is all so confusing and sad," he muttered.

Zeff reached out and palmed his forehead, pushing him off balance. "When they blow up, he'll take you with him, just out of spite. Or Doflamingo and Corazon will use you against me. Understood?"

Sanji had nothing to say after that. the brothers had always treated him so friendly, and he didn't want to see them in any other way. And there was no way Law would 'use' him just to have a step over Zeff. It just wasn't possible. He shook his head slightly, but changed it to a nod.

"I'll be careful," he said to Zeff. "I guess it helps knowing more of the situation than it did, before."

"Almost to retirement," Zeff said with a sigh, rising from the chair and walking away wearily.

Nearly an hour later, Sanji sent the text after Zeff's snores became constant. Then he laid there for some time, thinking over Zeff's words. Zeff looked as if he were considering a major move, again, and Sanji felt helpless because he had to trust Zeff's next action. After everything he was told, he felt like the world he lived in was a complete and utter lie. But he still saw the best of it, and that's all he was hoping for. That the best would work out in the end. Whatever end that there was.

He looked up when he heard a soft noise at the door, and grinned happily when he saw that it was Law, still dressed in his stakeout clothes. He had his sword over one shoulder, and he gave Sanji a slight smile in return.

"What happened?" Sanji demanded in a low whisper, gesturing at him to give up the information with an impatient wave of his hands. "Why were you there? What did you do?"

"You'll know tomorrow," Law said easily, Sanji shushing him. He removed his jacket and set his sword close to the bed just in case he needed to move fast.

"Why? How?"

"The more labs I destroy, the more these guys panic, the happier I feel," he answered, looking satisfied.

"But _why_? Like, what's your point in all this?" Sanji asked curiously, still at a low whisper.

"I didn't come here to talk about all that," Law said, pushing him back down onto the bed. "I had this on my mind all day."

"What?" Sanji asked, feeling his face and neck flush with color as his wrists were pinned at his head level.

Law didn't say anything more, but he kissed the teen hard, maneuvering them onto the bed so that they could fit. Sanji responded to him quickly, his legs wrapping around his, trying to get his hands free so that he could touch him. But the man wasn't in the mood for touching, just yet, getting reacquainted with his mouth. Sanji did feel a little guilt as his skin grew flushed and his blood started heating up again.

Hearing Nami accusing him of using her just to 'get what he wanted' and running off with someone else made him feel bad. Enough to pull his mouth from his, breathing heavily as he felt Law shift over him, moving from his face down to his ears. Sanji struggled to get his thoughts in order. But all he felt were his hormones wanting to take over, and it was difficult to think clearly when he felt the man's tongue lick his earlobe, the sound of his mouth opening causing a sensation like none other to cause his toes to curl.

So he stopped thinking of Nami and Zeff and the hole that they were all in, and just let himself go with this moment here, sure he'd make it up later. He turned his head, kissing on the man's cheek, trying to make his way to his mouth again, struggling to get his hands loose. Law shifted over him, pressing gentle kisses down to his shoulder, pushing Sanji's hands up and away from the teen's head. He leaned down, to nose the open area of his armpit, the smell of him there indicating a recent shower, and Sanji tried not to giggle or cringe because maybe a guy smelling another guy's armpit was a weird thing. He was still self-conscious of anything out of place on him, but when he heard Law's hum of satisfaction, Sanji felt okay.

"Why are you smelling me?" he asked quietly, trying not to laugh.

"Because all of your natural scents are pleasing to me. Don't wear anymore of that scented crap you have in your bathroom," Law told him, letting go of one hand to drop his hand over Sanji's ribs, pressing against the length of his side until he came to the edge of his shirt. He pushed the hem up, exposing his stomach, shifting to kiss his midsection. "I left off here the other night, didn't i?"

For a few minutes, Sanji couldn't talk. He was so focused on the sensation there that he couldn't think. With his free hand, he reached out and ran his fingers through the other man's hair, scratching at his scalp as he felt his lips move over his stomach, his teeth scraping against his skin, his tongue over his navel. He felt himself tighten up, feeling breathless, so hard that he was uncomfortable. His legs shifted restlessly, knees pressed against him as he clenched his teeth and tried not to make any sound.

When he felt Law's hand shift over the hem of his sweat pants and underwear, he gave an excited sound that he quickly covered up with his hand. He couldn't look, squeezing his eyes shut as he felt the material being slowly drawn down over his hip. the man's mouth followed the exposure of his skin, and Sanji tried not to hold his breath, feeling faint as excitement raced through him. His other hand was released, and he clamped that over his mouth, straining to stay quiet as his sweats and underwear were inched down lower, caught briefly on his straining erection.

He could feel the path the man's lips took over his skin, moving slowly, his tongue tasting him with careful laps. He strongly anticipated Law in moving lower, to the organ pushing up towards him with such aching action that he felt he'd go crazy if it were ignored. His hips moved impatiently, Law lifting his head to push Sanji's pelvis down onto the mattress.

"Not uh. Not so fast," he reprimanded Sanji, who gave him a growl, removing his hands to lower them to his own shirt, pulling at the collar with frustration. Pulling the waistband of Sanji's sweats and underwear over his thighs, shifting position to do so, Law looked down at the frustrated teen, smiling because it was obvious that Sanji was still looking for more stimulation, and he was completely at his mercy. He paused for a moment just to listen, making sure Zeff's snores were as loud and constant as they were, then shifted his position so that he was over the teen once more. He encouraged him to lose the shirt, Sanji complying hastily, growling because his legs were caught in between Law's and the material of his pants, and he was about to get crazy because his body demanded more stimulation, more satisfaction.

Once his upper half was exposed, Law lowered his head to lick one nipple, drawing his tongue around the areole as Sanji finally tossed his shirt away. He gasped, hand clapping over his mouth as Law shifted to bite his pectoral muscle with warning.

" _Ow_!"

"Shh."

" _Your_ turn! No, _my_ turn, take this off, please, I want to feel you, too," Sanji said, pulling at his shirt – it was a black one with short sleeves, and it drove him crazy when Law shook his head and pulled away, saying, "Not yet."

He reached for his jacket and pulled out an ampoule from an inside pocket, squishing it lightly between his fingers as Sanji watched, breathing tightly. He then shifted to stretch up alongside Sanji's form, upper half twisted over him. Sanji wrapped his arms around his neck, drawing him down to his mouth, and was satisfied when Law kissed him back. He removed Sanji's hands from around his neck, coaxing him to push one up above his head, pinning it there with one hand. He entwined his fingers through those ones, Sanji's tongue exploring his mouth with impatience, nearly whining as his hips moved about restlessly.

With his free hand, he caught Sanji's and clasped it with a few fingers – the other still held the ampoule.

"I want you to do something for me," he told Sanji quietly, speaking up against his ear so his directions could be followed. He kissed and licked his earlobe, Sanji shuddering against him, trying to break his other hand free, the other occupied with his hand. Squeezing the ampoule between his index finger and thumb, he lathered the contents onto Sanji's hand, the teen reacting to the slimy material with a startled noise and lift of his head to see what was happening.

"What is this stuff?" Sanji asked, faint of breath, forgetting to talk low as his head rushed with curiosity.

Dropping the ampoule aside, Law then curled his hand over the back of Sanji's, then pushed it down to his crotch. Sanji touched himself with a hiss of breath, then looked at him with some embarrassment.

"What?"

"Stroke yourself. I want to watch you do it."

"That's embarrassing!" Sanji protested, his face filling with color as he clasped his slimy fingers closed. "I can't do that in front of you."

"Yes, you can. If you're more than willing to share the rest of you with me, you can share with me what you do to pleasure yourself," Law told him smoothly, kissing his mouth, then twisting over him to press his tongue inside, licking the teen's tongue, coaxing it to him. Once Sanji gave it up, he sucked it back to his mouth, using his lips to suckle gently on the organ, using his tongue to trace the underside.

Sanji lost himself in the action, thinking how nice it would be if the man were doing this to his dick, instead. But he unclasped his hand, feeling the man's hand over his, coaxing his hand over the straining length. When he touched himself, he felt nervous and apprehensive about it, but he really liked what was happening to his tongue at the moment. And he could smell the man, the scent driving him crazy. He wrapped his fingers around himself, the slimy substance on his hand warming with the contact. Law didn't remove his hand from his, following and tracing the movement Sanji made as he started to stroke himself.

Sanji wanted more sensation from the other man, but Law wouldn't release his other hand. He wanted more contact, but the man remained at his side, sucking on his tongue with soft hums, and Sanji knew it wouldn't take long to come undone. He closed his eyes and went with the sensation he was given – his own hand, slick with warming lubricant, with Law's hand over his, assisting him. The taste and feel of his mouth over his, the press of his larger body against his exposed one. He could feel the thick bulge in his pants pressing against his thigh, and he shifted over Sanji restlessly, his fingers tightening over Sanji's just above his head.

Then he released his tongue, kissing Sanji's open mouth, biting lightly on his lower lip before saying, "Open your eyes. Look at me."

" _No_ \- !" Sanji whined, feeling embarrassed to do so when he was touching himself. But he could feel the oncoming burn of an orgasm building in his balls, his hips moving restlessly, and his strokes moving faster as he panted.

"Open your eyes. Look at me, baby," Law ordered him, and just hearing those words made Sanji do so, locking eyes with him instantly as his hand moved faster. He couldn't think anymore, he just knew that in a few moments, he was going to shoot his load over their hands. He couldn't get enough breath, and his throat tightened with repressed noises that he tried to hold back. "That's it. Do it faster. Cum. Beautiful. Your _face_."

He let go of Sanji's hand over his head, Sanji immediately clasping onto him, uttering a low cry that Law immediately covered with his mouth, Sanji cumming into their hands with a lift of his hips. His body trembled and jerked as he released a sound of relief, totally lost in the moment. He felt his load spill over their fingers, land on his stomach and chest, and he tensed, heels pressing against the mattress. His body relaxed moments later, and he uttered a low groan, unthinking of their surroundings.

The man released his hand, shaking slightly as Sanji pulled his head away from his, gone for the moment. Lifting his fingers to his mouth, Law tasted the thick spill with a curious expression. Then he cleaned his palm and between his fingers, the unusual taste coating his tongue and causing him to swallow a few times. He looked down at the teen's upturned face as he breathed long and slow, and couldn't resist leaning down and kissing his exposed throat, shifting restlessly against his body. When Sanji finally started moving, shifting his arm below, he jolted when Sanji's fingers found his hard dick.

He had to stop him, placing a hand over his – but not removing it. For a few moments, he enjoyed the maddening sensation of Sanji exploring the engorged member, pushing hard against the material of his pants. Sanji looked at him, his sated expression doing nothing to help the situation.

"Your turn?" Sanji asked, his voice a low croak.

"No. Not yet," Law said, his tone heavy as he pulled his hand away. "Let me clean you up. You did lovely."

"Why can't I touch you?"

"It's not your turn," he told him, pulling away reluctantly. He frowned as he realized that the state of the room gave him nothing to use to clean the teen with, so he grabbed Sanji's shirt instead. Very uncomfortably, he sat at an angle and wiped up Sanji's hand, his front. Sanji just laid there, looking up at the ceiling with a sleepy look, and Law paused to enjoy the sight. Tossing the shirt to the side, he leaned down, kissing the teen sloppily, seeing that he barely had enough strength to return the effort.

He helped pull up his pants, then sat at the edge of the bed, realizing he hadn't bothered to listen for Zeff. While he was startled in that the man was moving around, the sounds in the kitchen faint and far off, he knew that he'd be fine for the next few minutes. He figured the old man was just up for something to drink. He'd shut and locked the door, so that still gave him time to escape if he needed to. He looked back at Sanji, who hadn't even recognized the sounds just yet.

Leaning over, he kissed his forehead, smoothed his blond hair from his face. "One day it'll be your turn."

"Bastard. It's supposed to be two doing this. When will I get to return the favor?"

"When I'm ready. I'm a shy guy. I get nervous, sometimes."

Sanji hit him. "Shut up! You are not!"

"That sexy face you make makes it difficult, though. Looking into your eyes when you came was fucking hot. You little freak."

" _You_ are!" Sanji exclaimed noisily, face red. Then he clamped his hands over his mouth once he heard the sound of the fridge shut. " _Damn_! Damn it!"

Law chuckled, leaning in, removing his hands from his mouth. "Weren't you supposed to tell me something, today? I waited all day to have you tell me what you wanted."

"I want you," Sanji said nervously. "I want this."

"Is this the high speaking? Or something that you want for sure? You know how possessive I am of my belongings – if this is something you want, I'm not going to give you much of a choice in anything else. If you want a little girlfriend, you're going to have to wait until I'm done with you."

"Ah, I forgot how territorial you were with all your things," Sanji mused. "You'd throw a fit if I ever took one of your damn books without signing a contract, first."

"I can wait for you. But if that's what you want, I don't want you bringing her around me with you looking so happy with her. Got it? I've already decided that I won't tolerate that shit, anymore."

"I don't think I can do that, or look at her the same way as I look at you. But what about everything in between? What if I wanted you to come over like this?"

"Well, we'll see what happens tomorrow," Law then said with a chuckle, rising from the bed. He leaned down and kissed him again as he gathered his jacket to him.

Sanji reached out and grabbed him, preventing him from straightening. "What does that mean?"

"It means that there will be a very enraged reptile wanting to bite off my head when he finds out what we've done." He laughed, then cringed when he realized he was too loud. Sure enough, they heard Zeff approaching, and he leaned in and kissed Sanji soundly before teleporting away.

Moments later, Zeff knocked on the door. "Will you turn off that goddamn phone?"

"Sorry!" Sanji called out, embarrassed. But he wiped his face with nervous action, wondering what that all meant.

Later that morning, Doflamingo was stuffing his mouth with a breakfast burrito, his soda and phone in the other hand, while Corazon ate his carefully, walking at a slower pace than his brother. Their minions watched their step around them, most of them avoiding Corazon but not venturing that far away as Doflamingo lead their way through the casino. Once the security team showed them to Crocodile's office, Doflamingo didn't wait for them to open it – he reached out and kicked the doors open, not missing a beat with his burrito.

"You old fool! You dare send me threatening messages before breakfast?" he demanded, handing his soda to a minion while Corazon tripped through the doorway, dropping his burrito over the floor.

Crocodile's eye twitched as scrambled eggs, chorizo, potatoes and hot sauce colored his carpet. Sand started to rise and lift around him as Corazon picked himself up with a sad face, holding only onto the tinfoil.

"You couldn't wait until a proper time before deciding to send me this?" Doflamingo asked, leaning over his desk with his phone up, showing Crocodile the message he'd sent. His burrito dripped over his desk, coloring his paperwork, splattering over his ashtray. His eyes rounded with fury, and he rose from his chair with a growl, swiping his hook through the air and barely missing Doflamingo as he sat back at the edge of the desk, taking a large bite of his food.

"You _ass_ \- !" he growled, sand crawling over his clothes before he blinked away the fury and slowly sat, the rest of him settling in the chair. "But maybe it's a good thing that you've arrived in the manner that you have. Short of wasting anybody's time, I propose a deal with the pair of you."

"Does it have to do with any physical effort? Because it might be dangerous within the next hour or so."

"No!" Crocodile's face reddened, standing once more as Doflamingo watched him, chewing the last of his burrito. The other man infuriated him to every last end. Only a few years younger, Doflamingo lived to cause Crocodile trouble, and his younger brother was the worst of it. The pair caused seemingly endless aggravation to every one of his nerves, and yet, he couldn't escape them. Doflamingo knew business and was willing to take risks that he took care of himself; Corazon had the ability to talk sense into the man if effort was needed, and both of them combined were Crocodile's advantage.

"Last night, the last of my labs were destroyed," he said slowly, teeth grinding on his cigar. He reached for and held up an index card with the image of the 'happy virus' that was left at most of the scenes of destruction. "Who is this?"

He did not miss the surprised faces of the brothers. Doflamingo's reddened and tightened, and Corazon paled and his mouth dropped open with dismay. Crocodile smiled with some satisfaction as he set it aside. "This calling card was left at Krieg's and Drake's places, as well. Their formulas are missing, and their contracts to the mineral mine has been severed. I suspect that mine is in the process as well, but I want to have a talk with this person or persons behind all the trouble."

Doflamingo looked at Corazon, and when the younger snapped his fingers, both of them were yelling soundlessly at each other. Annoyed, Crocodile glared at both of them until Corazon gave a wave of his hands and Doflamingo stepped away from the desk, hurling tinfoil across the room. Crocodile growled because there were pieces of his burrito in that wrap, and they spread over the carpet as well. Corazon ended up stepping in the mess he'd made previously and tripped, crashing over a table with some plants and ornate statues of his preferred reptile.

He rose, standing with impatient hand on his desk, hook being slammed against the desk to catch their attentions. From the ground, Corazon snapped his fingers and Doflamingo turned to face him, grin gone.

"Look, let's look at this from a different prospective. Those labs were shit, anyway. Arlong's supply was shit. This is giving you a chance to start over with a new formula and a new plan. Instead of going the route of the White Rabbit, why don't you find another route to sell?" Doflamingo suggested. "The White Rabbit is sold only to fighters on the street that work for us, and aspiring fighters set on recruitment. Hasn't anybody realized how stupid of an idea that is? All of you have come up with a formula that you've boasted is the best quality, the best benefit in the end, but why are you only selling to fighters? High schoolers with nothing better to do?"

"It's a beneficial drug that, in the end, helps us. With the best fighters organized into different sectors of the city, the syndicates are even in power."

" _Why_ are we even cooperative with each other in that we follow some old man's silly rules?" Doflamingo asked curiously. "Isn't it a bit more fun if all of you are free to do as you wish?"

"Fool. Why do I bother with you?" Crocodile asked impatiently. "The reason why we thrive in this city, allowed to do as we please, is if we follow rules. We are free to run rampant on each other if someone steps out of line, and we, in turn, give back to the city in exchange for being allowed to do the things that we do."

"I never did well with rules," Doflamingo admitted, gesturing at his brother. "Which is why we're our own organization. If you want to shoot each other, go ahead, with the guns we give you. But I ask you again, why even bother with this drug? Obviously, it was learned that in order to take you pussies down, all one would have to do is take down your labs. Let's think a little smarter, eh? Someone is obviously not following the rules, and being a team player."

"Then you know who it is?"

"Of course. And let's just say it benefits me, as well, seeing as you guys are shooting each other."

"Then you're in on it!" Crocodile declared, standing once more with a furious expression. "You're behind it, aren't you?"

"Not at all," Doflamingo said, sitting at the edge of the desk, dangerously close to Crocodile. "I'm just reaping in the benefits of the matter."

" _Who is it_?"

"That's for you to work hard at. No more threatening messages. If you like, I can supply you with the weapons needed in your quest," Doflamingo said, Corazon looking at him with an outraged expression. "But it won't help you in the end. I have a different proposition to throw at you. Let's collaborate on an entirely different matter."

Crocodile gave him a suspicious look.

With a heavy sigh, Corazon lowered his head and snapped his fingers so that only the two of them could hear each other.

At school, Sanji stared out the window, dazed and happy. He couldn't stop thinking of last night, and he kept looking at his hand, feeling the weight of another man's erection in his hand. He licked his lips, wondering when he'd have his chance at the man, the way he was with him. He couldn't wait to give back everything he'd been getting so far, so excited about it that he could only plan wistfully with all the experience he had so far.

The teacher went on lecturing about variables and the like, and all Sanji thought about was how low and tight Law had spoken into his ear, his commands overtaking Sanji's senses and self control. His skin broke out in goosepimples. He couldn't believe he'd done that in front of the other man, and how hungry he was for more. He couldn't think. His body was on fire, and he just wanted more, more, _more_.

Someone cleared their throat next to him, and he jerked back to reality, reddening slightly, looking at the teacher just in case. But it was only a classmate handing him the newest study packet that had been passed out, and he was giving Sanji a blushing stare as he did so. Sanji automatically scoffed, snatching the packet from him with a huff.

"Jerk. I was thinking pleasant things until your ugly mug ruined it."

"Shut up, Black Leg, ass."

He felt the pencil on his neck jab him as Zoro kicked his chair. "Calm down, freak."

"I'm just saying! I'd rather the pleasant interruption of a lady than a guy like him!"

"Black Leg, you're such an misandrist," the kid snapped at him, huffing as he refocused on his packet.

"What's that mean?" Zoro asked curiously.

"Someone who hates men, stupid."

"Sounds about right," Sanji said, looking at the packet. Then he paused. Did he? He did get a little ruffly when men approached him or asked things from him, or even – but how was that possible when he couldn't stop thinking about one in particular? Having his touch on his skin? Helping him jerk off, revealing everything to him while speaking low in his ear?

The guy looked at him again, and Zoro wondered why the guy kept flushing as he stared at Sanji with such interest. He kicked Sanji's chair again, the blond head jerking forward and his face screwed up with an indignant expression as he shoved Zoro's desk to the side.

"What are you doing?" he snapped at him.

"What are _you_ doing? Zoning out? What's your problem?"

"I'm not!" Sanji huffed, looking at the guy again, but he was already writing some things down and Sanji flopped back in his chair with a dramatic groan. "I'm so done with this class! Isn't it over yet?"

"Shut up, Black Leg, and get working on that packet!" the male teacher snapped at him from the front.

Sanji turned in his seat to look at Zoro again, the greenhaired teen frowning at his packet. "Hey. Algae head. Guess what? That guy came to the restaurant last night. Crocodile."

"He did? Why?"

"To talk to Zeff. He was pretty pissed about things. Um, also…let's get kicked out of class. There's nothing to do, here."

"Shut up. Talk to me _after_ class."

"It's real important. I have Nami in my next class, an I need to talk to you now. I'm going to the bathroom. Come in after me."

"Ew, no!"

"DO IT, it's important! Hey! Teacher! I need to go!" Sanji then yelled, rising up from his chair and leaving as the man looked after him with a frown. But he grabbed the pass and tossed it in his direction, and Zoro shook his head with exasperation, because he wasn't going to follow. What a stupid request.

But Sanji stood outside the doorway and glared at him, several of their classmates looking at him warily. Zoro growled, their classmate looking at him with a frown.

"I gotta go, too! Must've been breakfast!" he shouted, not giving the teacher a moment to demand an explanation. Once outside, Sanji walked with him to the restroom.

"So…yesterday, Nami was right," he confessed tightly. "But how should I approach it, with her?"

"That you're seeing someone else?" Zoro asked, incredulous. " _For real_? How did that happen?"

"Very suddenly. But…it's kind of a secret, okay? I'm just…" Sanji huffed as he pulled the door open, digging out a cigarette from the inside pocket of his shirt, and lighting up. Zoro decided he needed to use the urinal anyway, so he did so as Sanji leaned against one of the sinks nearby.

"Okay, but don't get weirded out," Sanji said, cigarette pulled from his mouth. "But…okay. Well, it's like this. Well. Like. It was just all of a sudden, and….and I have to be truthful, because Nami was right. I am fooling around with somebody. Just. Don't. Freak out."

"Spit it out already."

Sanji exhaled heavily, then set his cigarette back to his mouth. "I'm fooling around with this guy."

Zoro looked back at him with shock.

"Like, hard core fooling around. Like, I'm _obsessed_ with this guy. And I can't believe it's happening, and it is, and…every little chance I have, I'm running out to see him, or he's coming out to see me."

"Are you fucking serious? How did you go from _that_ to that?" Zoro asked in a bewildered tone. "And why are you even telling me?"

"Because I told him last night that I want to be with him, but he asked that I not see Nami, anymore. Well, not 'ask' – told. He told me not to. And the only reason I'm saying is because I'm not going to hide it. Well…unless he says I should, and there's a good reason why I have to."

"Someone I know?" Zoro asked, shaking and flushing before replacing with extra caution.

"Yeah. I guess. But I don't want to say until I find out from him if this is…this is something we're doing."

Zoro washed his hands, and gave Sanji an incredulous look. " _Why_."

"It just happened! Like…I think I've always felt this way, but I'm not sure. I'm not sure if it's just hormones, or I'm confused, or – it's just living dangerously. But goddamn, Zoro, I can't stop thinking of him!" Sanji declared, stamping out his cigarette in the sink. "I seriously can't go two minutes without thinking about him, and I know my decision is only –fucking- hormones, but I can't control it!"

"Holy shit."

"I know! I'm still in shock!"

"Is he nice?"

Both of them jumped at the sound of Luffy's voice from the stall nearby.

" _What are you doing here_?"

"Pooping," Ussop chimed in. "This _is_ a bathroom.

Luffy laughed. "We're battling against this guy on our 3DS'! We've been in here for the past five minutes."

"Gross!"

"So, does this guy go to our school?" Ussop asked curiously from the other stall. They let their feet down now that they knew it was safe to do so, the chimes from their games turned up.

" _No_!" Sanji exclaimed, red faced. "You bastards. I was only telling shit head because I needed his advice."

"What _advice_ can I give you after you've fallen for some dude?" Zoro exclaimed.

"I want you to tell me if I'm doing the right thing!"

"Do you feel it in your heart, Sanji?" Luffy asked curiously, buttons being jabbed.

"Yeah."

"There you go."

"If you're seriously dating a dude, then you need to let Nami know," Zoro told Sanji sternly. "Because I'm not getting caught up in that shit."

"How should I tell her? I feel really bad for it."

"You were in love with her for so long," Ussop said. "what changed?"

"This guy."

"Have we met him?"

"No."

Zoro jolted, putting it together. He punched Sanji in the gut, causing him to exhale forcefully. "You fucker, I know who it is! He has your ring!"

Sanji tried to laugh, but al the wind was knocked out from him.

"Who is it, Zoro?" Luffy asked, raising his voice to be heard.

"You haven't met him, but he's this older guy Sanji knew from back in the day."

"You _didn't_!" Ussop cried, rising to stand on the toilet to look over the stall. Luffy only stretched his head, still pressing buttons as they both looked in their direction. "That one guy! The one Nami's always talking about?"

"Yes," Sanji admitted, red-faced. "I figure if I tell you guys now, it won't be so much of a secret if something happens. Like that thing about my family. It's only fair to say something now, instead of it coming out as a surprise."

"You weren't going to tell us, though! You were only going to tell Zoro!"

"I'd tell you two later on! When it mattered! But, yes, okay? That's…that's the state of things."

"Why, Sanji?" Luffy asked curiously. "You liked Nami for so long, did she do something wrong that made you think girls don't do it, anymore?"

"I don't know. It wasn't anything she did. She's perfect."

The three of them gagged.

Scowling, Sanji crossed his arms tightly. "It was just me. I just…it happened. Things happened, and…"

"Isn't it illegal, though?" Ussop asked. "You're not eighteen until next year."

"I know when I'm eighteen! No rules have been broken," Sanji muttered, red faced. "Absolutely none. Oh my god."

The three of them stared at him in silence for several moments until the door opened, assistant principal Tashigi marching in with a clipboard. Luffy and Ussop shrieked in surprise while Sanji and Zoro jerked away, Tashigi whipping out a pen.

"All of you! You're caught! Why in the world you want to sit in a boys' bathroom and have a full conversation is beyond me! But for this, all of you get detention!" she shouted, writing down their names. She looked at Ussop with disgust. " _You_! Are you watching the other boy use the toilet?"

"NO! We're not! We're playing with these!' Ussop shouted, waving his 3Ds about, Luffy extending his hand to show her as well.

Standing back with a smirk, Tashigi wrote that down as well, sniffing the air. Zoro pointed immediately at Sanji, who looked at him with dismay.

"All of you have detention! And I'll confiscate your games, cigarettes and lighter, too," she said, hand out to Sanji, who gave her the last three cigarettes in his shirt pocket and his lighter. Luffy pressed buttons furiously as Ussop left his stall with a guilty expression. Leaving his, Luffy saved his game and handed it over, but Tashigi shrieked and dropped it because it was wet.

"Ha ha, sorry I dropped it in the toilet earlier," Luffy laughed.

"And we're _friends_ with this kid," Zoro said with disgust, Sanji looking at Luffy with a gag.

Halfway across the city Corazon cursed heatedly and threw his 3Ds across the room, his Charizard losing a battle against a goddamn Pigeotto.

"You really suck at that game," Doffy told him impatiently, retrieving it for him with his string abilities. "Here, Mario Cart. Try it. It's a lot more peaceable than that one."

The minions around them sighed heavily as Corazon acquiesced, hand out for the game as Doffy signaled for his own 3DS to be given to him. He grinned happily as they started their portable systems. Crocodile stared at them in silence, eyebrows drawn together with bewildered action.

Later that afternoon, Law stared out the window of the coffee shop, unable to stop smiling. Shachi looked at him with distrust, Penguin sitting on the counter, looking at his phone. Law couldn't stop thinking about last night, and it had nothing to do with their latest mission. He felt like a little kid, again, blissfully unaware of adult things and focused only on the small things that made him happy. Like coming home from school with the latest manga collection and a large Mountain Dew.

When he thought about his childhood, he did feel a little weird about it. Because the kid he'd been friends with back then was his current sexual obsession, and he couldn't stop himself from doing what it took to experience more of that feeling. But he felt excited over learning more about him, about getting more, experiencing more, and what made it all the more exciting was that he felt comfortable doing so.

Everything about Sanji was pleasing, from the feel of his hair to the smell of his crotch, and the way he visibly reacted to Law's touch was just perfect. Usually, he picked partners that were desperate to 'rock his world' or whatever, and while they were confident and knew what they want, most of the time it was an act. He'd learned early on that women faked their reaction in bed, or were too shy to show everything off, or wasn't into experimentation – most weren't into anal, some didn't like to give blowjobs, and they all expected commitment. That word sent him running off into a different direction. It still could.

He shouldn't be doing this. There were a hundred reasons why he shouldn't be doing this.

But he couldn't stop himself.

Every time Sanji gave him an honest reaction and wanted to do more with him, he was losing every bit of his self control and practiced reaction because he was willing to do that 'more' with him. He felt confident in his abilities after doing a little book research, sure that it'd work out no matter what. That was the other exciting thing. They were both virgins at this. Which made it even more special.

He sighed happily. He didn't feel pressure to perform, to show off his knowledge, to give a near impossible grand finale – he could just experience and experiment and enjoy what he was doing to his partner, knowing that his partner was just as new at it.

"Senpai's wearing a pervy smile, again," Penguin muttered to Shachi. "Now that we know his dirty secret, it's no wonder table 17 just sits there and stares."

"Table 17 is drooling again. it looks like he has a bloody nose, too."

"Take him more napkins."

"No. You."

"You."

"Crocodile's mood is rather volatile, today, so I suggest you both stay on the lookout for any sign of his arrival here," Law then said, looking at them both. "In any case that happens, I'm not even going to fuck around with that guy. His sand ability is too strong for me to fend off alone, and I'd rather not have you two in the vicinity of his reach."

"We live in a city. How much sand could there be?" Shachi scoffed.

"You can't shoot him. Attacks go right through him. He can evaporate moisture from the air and your body with a touch. I was prepared to confront him, but after watching him decimate most of his own followers last night in an effort to come at us, I think I need to figure out a better way to deal with him. My abilities are strong, but not strong enough. He's got experience on his side."

"How long have you had them, anyway?" Penguin asked curiously, scrolling through his phone. He showed Shachi a recent Kardashian vine, Shachi looking at him with disgust. "Hey, chicks love this trash. Shut up."

"Personally?"

"Like, literally, I can't even if you don't even."

"Literally, I'm right here, bitch."

"Honestly, I'm so done, right now."

Law looked away as they spoke with maddening vocal fry, and began shoving each other, the match ending with Penguin falling to the floor on the other side of the counter.

"Not long enough," he answered Penguin's question vaguely, rubbing his goatee. He wondered what Sanji was doing at that moment, looking at his phone with irritation, because it had been exactly two minutes since he last checked to make sure he hadn't missed his text. He tossed it over his shoulder with a heavy sigh, Shachi diving for it with a startled yelp. "This is ridiculous. I need to start changing my habits. When was the last time anyone swept the floor?"

"Like, literally, two minutes ago. I did," Shachi frowned at him. Then he cleared his throat and spoke normally. "Senpai, if Croc's still pissed, what next? Are we hitting Krieg after? Or Drake?"

"They're probably on high alert, now," Law mused, plucking out an antiseptic cloth and wiping the register. "It might be a little harder to get into those areas. We'll need to look over the blueprints again and maybe come in from the inside."

"Can you do that?"

"Sure, it shouldn't be that hard. Both of you will be given special assignments. Once I determine where the labs are, I'll send one of you in so that you can take pictures. I can enter an area if I know what it looks like."

"What if, one of these times, you teleported, and there was a person standing there, and you ending up teleporting like, right into him? Would you guys die?"

"Yes."

"Is Bepo still with Sanji-kun?" Penguin asked curiously. "I haven't seen that brown-noser since this morning."

"Yes. Apparently, Sanji has detention today. That naughty boy, he should be punished," Law then mumbled to himself, and Shachi and Penguin shuddered because, while they hadn't heard the content of which he just spoke with, they just sensed an unusually troubling amount of perversity from the other man. " _Ahem_. Anyway, that's what he said. Bepo. Because he overheard Zeff cursing about it."

"If Croc attacks Zeff, how's Zeff going to handle it? I mean, Zeff does not have any special abilities," Shachi said curiously. "How can a guy like that contain guys like Crocodile?"

Law shrugged, leaving the counter area. "I didn't ask. After so many years, why should I doubt his ability to control these cretins?"

"Senpai, I _have_ to ask this," Penguin said, leaning over the register, adjusting his hat. For a brief moment, those sitting nearby were treated to a rather attractive face. "When did you learn what Zeff was?"

"I was visiting Sanji one day," Law looked over with concern because Shachi was coughing violently, doubled over near the restroom area, "and I overheard Zeff talking on the phone in his room. He was ordering a cake from a bakery. No big deal, right? Well, later on in life, I learned that this particular bakery is actually a hitman service. Doffy used it a couple of times. I don't know who's employed with that particular agency, as it seems very exclusive. Anybody could be working for that place."

"So he uses hitmen, then."

"Apparently. After that, once I witnessed – almost two years later, while I started to learn more and more of the White Rabbit, I once saw Zeff kill a former syndicate head for targeting his grandson. After that, we started moving in circles around each other because of my ties with Doffy and Cora, and suddenly here we are, today."

" 'Witnessed'…"

"What?"

" _Witnessed_ what?"

"Witnessed who?"

"You jerk! What'd you see?"

"I didn't see too much. Mostly just the upper half."

Penguin stared at him with irritation. "What does that mean?"

"You need to be specific, Penguin, I've no idea what you're talking about."

"Don't play into that head game of his," Shachi warned him from the bathroom. "I went for two hours playing that game."

"I was there, that day, thanks."

"Anyway, it wasn't that big of a deal. Maybe. As a child, you think you're comfortable and safe with your surroundings, never really knowing what's out there until it's right in front of you, or, as an adult, you realized it was right there in front of you all this time. I have spent many nights thinking about it. I have to wonder if life would have been different if I had known now what I know then."

"Well, now what?" Penguin asked, playing Candy Crush, and then repeating an order that a woman called out to him. As he began preparing that order, Shachi grumbled some things to himself that might've involved child predators and sharklike tendencies, but Penguin never paid attention when Shachi was mad about something.

The bell rang at the door, and the three of them looked over, watching as Corazon walked in, looking sad. Most of their customers rose up from their tables and hurried out, and Law gave a long suffering sight as Corazon tripped over someone's foot and fell into the evacuation path.

From the floor, Law heard him mumble something about hoping to see Sanji there with food, but he wasn't sure. He sat down in a booth where a woman spit out her coffee with a surprised flush, her laptop ruined. She was too nervous to appreciate the closeness of the man across from her; she grabbed her things and raced away from the café, Shachi calling after her with a 'goodbye!'.

"Why are you scaring my customers with that face?" Law asked him crankily.

Brushing himself off, Corazon rose and sat properly at a table, removing his hood and jacket. Only he missed setting his jacket on a chair, and it fell to the ground with a heavy rattle of noise, suggesting multiple weaponry. A knife even clattered over the tile, kicked accidently by a fleeing patron with half a cookie in his mouth.

"I was hoping to see Sanji here," Corazon confessed, patting his shirt pockets for his cigarettes. Once he had them in hand, he startled once Law switched the pack with the woman's half finished bagel, setting the pack aside. With a mopey face, Corazon set the bagel aside, using a finger to push it over the edge of the table. "I'm so hungry. We haven't stopped to eat anywhere since Doffy met with Crocodile early this morning. I came here first to talk some sense into you."

"You realize that none of your sense matches mine," Law said, propping his shoes up on a chair nearby. "What could you possibly say that'll change my mind? And it took you long enough to accept this."

"Doffy and I were in denial for awhile," Corazon said with a shrug. "Then I think he figured it out a couple of years ago. He took advantage of it. You realize your own uncle is plotting against you with other syndicates. Supplying them with weapons."

"I'd be more surprised if he didn't."

"Well, just stay on your toes. He's only indirectly trying to kill you."

"It comes with the territory."

" _Why_ , though?" Corazon asked, almost on a whine. Penguin served him his favorite drink, a cold coffee with vanilla flavoring, and was tempted to assist the man with drinking it, but he backed away slowly as Corazon handled the cup carefully. He still ended up dribbling most of it down his shirt, causing Penguin to wince. "We thought you were doing so well! Working a terrible job with minimum wage, with two college friends, all of you going no where – "

"This was more interesting."

With a purse of his lips, Corazon sipped at his drink. Then he said, "Where's Sanji?"

"Detention."

"What does he do after?"

"What's with the twenty questions?"

"Just wondering." Sitting the cup aside, he said, "Crocodile is very angry that you destroyed his lab. He's getting closer to finding you and your little group."

"I left a hand written note for him to find us. It won't be that hard if he just looked the image up on Google."

"Admittedly, Crocodile isn't up with the times as we are. I give you at least two days before he comes here and finds you. So, now what?"

"Then we wait. Can't give you anymore than that."

"I'm not becoming rivals with my own son."

"I'm not planning on it. I just want that stuff taken off the street. If you guys are going to kill each other, then do it without the aid of that drug. Stupid for it to be so important."

"Crocodile plans on eliminating Zeff, as well," Corazon said impatiently. "Arlong was already in talks over it – they're greedy. But Crocodile fears that Arlong has already confessed to the plot. He will move quick if he hasn't, already. Doffy has agreed to supply him."

Law was quiet for a few moments, before saying, "Zeff knew what this world was about. If it comes to that, then it comes to that."

"Don't say that. Because if he's feeling particularly vindictive, he will kill Sanji, too. So you need to think about where you are in this life. Are you ready to go up against a man like Crocodile? Your abilities can't overpower his. He's more experienced than you. And if I choose to step in and help, it'll be seen that I'm helping on the behalf of Doffy, and Crocodile will plot against Doffy, and those two will box each other's heads all over the city."

"I understand. I ask that you don't."

"I can't ignore it if my own son is in danger."

"I'm not your damn kid!"

"You're such a damn brat. I will do whatever I want when it comes to your safety."

"Stay out of my business! I didn't come back just to have you interfering, again!"

"I feel like this is déjà vu," Shachi whispered to Penguin, both of them hiding behind the counter.

"Look, if it helps, just give me an idea of what he plans on doing. Zeff knows that betrayal and threat of violence is there, especially from men like Crocodile. But family members aren't to be touched. If I need to, I will step in on Sanji's behalf – I'm not associated with any of you."

"See that you do. That's all you can do. And keep him out of this. He was always so nice to you, for some reason, and I'd feel terrible if something happened to him because everyone else was fighting with each other." Corazon sighed again, and rose from the table. "That's all. I better get going. I was only supposed to run to the Costco. For those little corndogs."

"The ones from Red Baron?"

"I'll drop a box off with you before I go home. Thanks for the coffee, Penguin," Corazon then said, grabbing his hood and jacket and walking off, stooping just to get under the door. But just outside, he tripped in front of an elderly woman that bent and patted his head with comforting action.

Law looked back at the other two, face reflecting a scowl as they looked at him with delighted expressions.

"Daddy-kun's bringing Law senpai Red Baron corndogs!"

"Daddy makes Law senpai so embarrassed with his loving actions!"

"He puts up such a fight, he's just a faker."

"Tsundere senpai!"

" _Shut up_! Go die!"

Late that night, Zeff woke up with a faint snort. Something had woken him out of a deep sleep, and it took him a few minutes to try and figure out what. He looked at the clock, noting that it was nearly four a.m. He wiped his face, clearing sleep from his eyes, and attempted to go back to sleep. But he heard the unmistakable sound of Sanji saying something. It made him suspicious, laying there for a few moments, thinking he should get up and interrupt whatever it was Sanji was doing at four in the morning.

After that was muffled noise, but it could have come from anywhere. Maybe the walls were too thin, bordering his neighbor's. Sometimes he woke up from a heavy sleep with the thought that they weren't alone, and sometimes he heard muffled noises that were obviously a couple having play time with each other, and that only made him pull a pillow over his ear.

But this wasn't the first night Sanji had been up, on that damn phone. Zeff was pretty sure the boy was in love, probably spending what time he could with that girlfriend of his, Nami. Facetiming her, or something. He hoped Sanji was doing all the appropriate things possible to keeping his goddamn anatomy off the internet, unlike some of the kids were doing, photographing their private parts to Kik or Snapchat, or some dumb shit like that.

He wiped his eyes again and rolled over. He heard muffled noises again, followed by the sound of a lower, deeper voice, and he furrowed his eyebrows, because every time he heard that particular voice, he just _knew_ he knew it – it had to be a neighbor. He tried to picture the couple that he knew lived there on the other side of the wall, but it had been some time since he'd actually seen them.

He heard Sanji say something, being answered in that other voice - he threw his blankets off with a low curse. It seemed that every day Sanji was doing something entirely out of his character – what the hell was up with the detention? Smoking in school? Playing with friends in the bathroom? Tashigi might've been over-exaggerating her findings, though, so Zeff let it go. _Boys will be boys_. But this early morning thing was getting out of hand. Zeff noticed those dark circles under Sanji's eyes, and he did come home at the time Zeff did, which left them with only a few hours of sleep.

He opened his bedroom door, listening once more for the sound of Sanji's voice. But it was quiet in the hall, and nothing moved. He figured the teen had heard him moving around, and he was tempted to kick that damn door in – why was it always shut and locked, nowadays? – but he walked to the kitchen and found something to drink. He made coffee because he knew he was going to need it later.

When he returned to his bedroom, he listened again for something out of place. He looked at Sanji's door, feeling his senses sing. He could swear that it wasn't just them in this place. What if Sanji had been sneaking his girlfriend over? But he never heard a female's voice. Which made him wonder if the couple next door was a hetero couple. He just couldn't remember.

He shut his door and returned to bed. Not even a few minutes later, that muffled sound – a mixture of a moan and a whine - happened again. It wasn't coming from his side of the hall – it was definitely coming from the other side. From Sanji's room. Zeff was a little embarrassed. What if the teen was just finding time to do what teenage boys do in the dead hours of the morning, the only time that he could find time to do so?

He pulled his pillow over his head and tried to make himself go back to sleep.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Happy *6/3 * day! D: ….yesterday. Damn I'm always late. ARGH.**

 **Thanks for the reviews and comments! :D We still got a few more years to go D: (oh my)**

 **Chapter Eleven:**

 **Call Alice**

Nami looked at Sanji as he crouched to tie his shoe. There was something different about the guy, lately, and she wasn't sure what it was. He was quick to jump to the sound of her voice, his wallet out before she could even decide what she wanted for lunch, but there was definitely something amiss about his behavior when he looked at her. There was an awful lot of uncomfortable squirming and expression and he wasn't meeting her in the eye when they spoke. And when they sat together, she found it difficult to reach out and hold his hand the way she used to.

She tucked her hair behind her ear, wondering who it was he was seeing. When he straightened from the task, he flicked his hair from his face with an impatient puff, and Nami frowned up at him as their PE teacher hollered at everyone to consider the timed mile run as a headstart in life. When was the last time Nami had really looked at the guy she grew up with? Had really considered his physical appearance, looked beyond his goofy adoration of her and the other attractive girls in their school?

She examined his facial features – his usual light smile was in place, visible eye happy (even if it were slightly dark underneath, suggesting too many late nights), and he walked with his usual confident strut with his string-bean body, long limbs taking up too much space around them. But he zoned out with a somewhat strange expression from time to time, clearly not in the game with everyone else – she wondered if he'd recovered from the soccer ball to the head earlier.

"Sanji, do you have something you need to tell me?" she asked, smoothing her hair from her face and giving him an impatient look. "You're clearly somewhere else in the world."

Snapping back to reality, he looked at her with a start. One of their classmates ran past him, nearly tripping because he was staring at Sanji too hard to notice where he was going. Sanji glared after him with warning because he nearly bumped into Nami in his stumble.

"Well, yes," he said slowly, looking uncomfortable. "First off, I apologize for everything. I realize I was behaving rudely to you. I didn't mean to. There's just so much happening, I'm lost."

"This thing about your family must've been difficult," Nami agreed, nodding.

"Zoro told you?"

"Ussop. So, I suppose I can forgive you this once. I mean, that's a lot to take in. How do you feel about it?"

"Well, to be honest, I can't feel sad or angry about it. Zeff is all I knew, and this entire world is still so new. I don't have any memory of my other family. But everything makes sense, now. There's just so much I'm learning that it's a little confusing. But I have to admit, now that I'm aware of it, I'm surprised that I'd never seen it, before."

"I think we all are," Nami admitted. But she frowned at him. "But I still ask to know who you're seeing. It's really messed up that after I gave you a huge part of me, you were suddenly…gone. "

"After that, Nami, you made me feel like shit, too," Sanji said, looking at his feet, turning red as he did so.

"But you couldn't possibly think we'd be any different after that! You'll always be my friend. I think if I tried harder, then maybe I can fall in love with you – "

"Nami, if you have to 'try harder', then maybe you don't at all," he said gently.

"Well, not long after we got busy, you got busy with someone else! How do you think that made me feel?"

"I can't help that I fell for someone else – I'm still trying to accept that I did. That's why I feel rotten about it – "

"You don't feel that way at all! Because you're obviously somewhere else with her than you are with me!"

"I'm very sorry. I'm sorry that I did what I did. I'm sorry that I made you feel this way. I never wanted to hurt you like that. But I did. And I'm sorry."

"Who is it, then?"

"I can't say at this point in time – "

"Bullshit! Is she prettier than me?" she asked, starting to get angry. "Is she nicer?"

"No," Sanji admitted, still not looking at her. "She's not _prettier_."

"I feel like you got what you wanted and left."

"When you approached me that night, I thought things would change between us. I thought you'd finally see me the way that I see you. But you told me the next day that was only 'thanks' for what I'd done for you, and that we'd committed 'incest'."

"If that's how you want to see it," she muttered, tucking her hair behind her ear. She felt frustrated and she didn't know how to sort it all out. She knew she was saying terrible things, but she couldn't stop herself. "If that's what makes you feel better."

"I thought you cared for me, too."

"It wasn't the stuff of dreams, but we both shared parts of ourselves with each other that should have been kept private. Who is it, Sanji?"

"Um, well, maybe now's not the time to talk about it, if you're feeling a little testy."

"Of course I'm 'testy'!" she yelled at him, finally raising her voice. Their classmates looked at them with startled action, and she frowned at him. 'Of course I'm testy. I lost my virginity, too. I just wanted you to know how hurt I felt that you apparently found someone else not long after we did it."

"I understand. I just hope that one day you'll forgive me for it, and we can be friends, again."

"I …it's so weird hearing you call me that. After all these years. When did I just become one of the guys, to you?"

"I'm sorry. I really am."

" _Dogs_. You're all dogs, it was _my_ virginity, too," she then muttered, stalking away from him. He watched her leave with a frustrated expression, but knew he couldn't do anything else about it. He hoped that one day they could be as close to each other as they were before that.

"Heh, women, huh?" his classmate said to him, and Sanji scowled in his direction. It was that same kid from their math class, and Sanji had caught him staring blatantly in his direction a few times. He couldn't resist kicking out and sending the kid stumbling away from him.

"Nobody butts into my damn business!"

"Chill out, idiot. Why do you hate men so much?"

"Because they think they can talk to me so familiarly!"

"I don't know who's worse, you or freaking Roronoa. You guys suck."

Sanji just huffed, turning away to walk off, not seeing the kid appreciating the view from behind.

Later on that evening, when the night had fallen over the city, he worked the restaurant floors with a heavy expression. Zeff threatened to beat him for 'moping' on the customers, but he felt really bad about the conversation he had with Nami.

He didn't know how to talk about it, so he kept it to himself, figured he'd call Zoro later for advice. But during break, once he had his phone, he saw that Law had sent him happy face emoji that made him smile bigger than anything at the moment, because even if they couldn't see each other, the other man was thinking of him at that time. Which brightened his mood, because being thought of was a wonderful thing.

He sent a similar reply, being careful before he knew Zeff was peeking at his phone. Then he erased their messages, and looked at his Instagram account, seeing that Doffy was currently stationed at the west side of the city. The casino, it looked like. He wondered where Corazon was, but then put his phone down to return to work because Zeff was bitching about him slacking off. Sanji gave him a snapping response back, but he didn't push because it looked like Zeff was really stressed about something, and he noticed that he, as well as the other cooks, were very agitated. They kept looking at the doors, waiting for someone to come in.

: :

"Shachi, finally, we have a chance to talk," Law said, startling the man as he was clearing off a table recently abandoned. The evening was coming to an end, and he'd been watching videos with Bepo before trailing after Shachi. A lot of things had been on his mind, and he was just counting down the hours to when he'd see the teen, again. He was getting annoyed with how restless and eager he was getting just to have those few hours to himself. "I have a pressing question that I've been meaning to ask, but you're never around. As your opinion is equally as valuable to me, I need to ask only you while Penguin's occupied."

"I can hear you perfectly from here!" Penguin snapped at him from across the shop.

"I am _always_ , like, five feet away from you," Shachi said impatiently to Law, looking at the other man with a tray full of empty inside dining mugs. He was wearing another one of those small smiles, again, looking tired behind his glasses, hair all over the place – but the women and Table 17 liked that sort of thing. He'd never seen the man smile so much, unless he was causing trouble to others or satisfied with some plan he'd had that went successfully. To know that the guy was smiling because of this thing with someone younger than him was just…well, _weird_. Especially in the midst of this thing.

"I have a situation which has been troubling me for a few days. Currently, I demanded that, my, ahem, _friend_ , not share himself with anyone else. I wanted his company exclusively, because I can't stand when other people try and play with my things. Clearly, I'm a possessive jerk – I grew up an only child, so I like to keep my things close and not share them."

"I'm glad you know that, and accept that about yourself," Shachi said flatly, making a face.

"But now that I think upon it, I am wondering if that is an unreasonable demand."

"Nope," several people closest to them said, obviously not thinking about the question.

"It is!" Shachi snapped. "What the hell? You can't just go tell your friend to not talk to other people! Why would you want to be the only person in his life that he can talk to?"

"Well, in my opinion, I fear with how easily I won him over, anybody else could," Law said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "And he's so young and cute, faithful to a fault, and sometimes I feel bad when I impose my will upon him. Bullying him has become a favorite pastime of mine. At the same time, I can't stand it when I see him being happy with other people. What should I do?"

"Learn to play nice," Shachi growled. "You have to. You can't just box this person up and think that it's okay. You're not around twenty-four seven, so why should you expect someone else to be?"

"So should I let him talk to other people? Be happy with other people? In front of me?"

" _Yes_! Who the hell are you to be his only source of happiness? Plus, I can't see how he could even be happy with you, you're a sadistic, twisted pervert. Why should it only be your way?"

"I guess I should learn to let things go. After all, he's willing to forsake others' company to make me happy, so I should just trust in his loyalty. All right. That settles it, then," Law decided, reaching out and patting his shoulder. "Thank you, Shachi. You've been very helpful."

Following him back to the counter, Shachi asked skeptically, "So you're cool with it if he brings his other friends around?"

"I will learn to accept it. It'll be difficult. But I'm willing to make this sacrifice, because I do enjoy seeing him happy. It makes me _happy_."

"Then S –"

"Bepo. You can talk to other people, now," Law told the polar bear, who gave a happy yell, rising up from his stool with a delighted laugh.

"Hi! _Hi_ everyone!" he cried, startling the nearest people. "My name is Bepo! I'm so glad to finally meet every one of you!"

Penguin looked at Shachi's red face, a weird sound emerging from behind his clenched teeth. He shook his head. "Why do you fall for his shit all the time? You're so gullible."

"You _bastard_! I thought we were talking about somebody else!" Shachi snapped, tossing the full tray near the sink, breaking a few mugs as Bepo went from table to table, greeting everyone.

"Like who?" Law asked, giving him a skeptical look. "Bepo is my only trusted possession around here. As dictator over other events and people in my life, I refuse to give up my control over their freedoms and allow them to slack off from my rule."

Shachi was on him in seconds, trying to strangle him. Penguin used a foot to push them away, customers watching with amusement.

"Shachi, you try too hard, man. You need to be chill about things," Penguin said, elbow to counter as he watched them wrestle.

When the door opened, he frowned. "Corazon's here," he said.

Corazon stumbled in, a few of the customers closest to him hastily gathering their things. What made the situation worse was that the man was putting away a smoking gun, tucking it back into his black jacket with a sigh. He opened his mouth to greet him as he stood at the counter, then remembered he'd placed himself on 'silent'.

He touched his chest, clearing his throat and peering over at Law and Shachi, the latter of whom was being held in a headlock. "Is this how you keep your friends, nowadays?"

"Are you really up in my place of employment with a gun?"

"I just left a particularly nasty mission," Corazon said, resting his hands on the counter. "But I just wanted to drop by and see if Sanji were here with his delicious snacks."

"No. You're obsessed with him. It's gross."

Shachi snorted, lurching away from him, straightening his glasses and hat. Law extended a foot and tripped him, Penguin looking at them impatiently.

"I've honestly thought about employing him as my personal chef, but I fear Zeff will be angry about it," Corazon sighed, flicking his blond hair from his forehead. "So I will wait. I can be patient."

"You can't take my slave away. I already claimed him a long time ago. He's working for me."

"You're a sick bastard," Shachi told him.

"It did start early," Law admitted, crossing his arms over his chest. "I made it very clear to him when we were children that he was to work for me. I will even allow him to bring his wife along."

"You're a true dictator."

"Sanji's little girlfriend?" Corazon asked him skeptically. " _Please_. You've always hated sharing your toys. You won't even allow him to have the attention of someone else if you decide to make him work for you."

Law glared at him.

"Anywho, there is this," Corazon then said, reaching into his jacket pocket, and withdrawing a thick brick of money that he then set down on the counter. The three of them looked at it suspiciously. "I found it. I don't need it. I think you should have it. Take you and your little friends on a world wide cruise. Wouldn't you want to visit Hawaii? The summer is beautiful in New Zealand. Are you aware of what a 'haka' is, Law?"

"You 'found' it?" Penguin asked skeptically.

"Just lying in the parking lot nearby."

"I'm not going anywhere," Law told him firmly. "Not until I've completed my mission."

Corazon pushed it closer to him. "Unmarked bills. Go back to college and finish your classes. How about Rio? Learn to samba."

"I've always hated dancing."

"Maybe Canada? See the moose? How about Nova Scotia? Watch the northern lights with a pretty lady from a log house with a large fireplace?"

"No."

"What I could do with that," Shachi murmured, gazing at the thick brick of hundred dollar bills. Until he blinked curiously. "Is that Crocodile's seal on the side?"

"No!" Corazon said, swiping it back up and tucking it back into his jacket pocket with a flustered expression. "He won't miss it, anyway. It's his fault I got lost looking for the restaurant, there. I didn't mean to find my way into his bank vault. Who keeps _vaults_ in the basement on the north side of his stupid casino, anyway? You'd think it'd be more secure, but he relies on his men too much. It's better to have an offshore account, like all the other crooks. Anyway, it's his fault he doesn't guard his money very well. Or his marketing secrets. Or his mistress' number. Two of them. Local. Floozies. They're the sort to flock to Cabo over the weekend to pick on older men. Cad. Enemy of women. You have to be rich to find a good woman, nowadays. I'm Team Single for life. I'm okay about it. I'm fine. It's fine. We're all fine."

Corazon sank lower and lower into a depressed pose, Shachi and Penguin looking at him with sorrowful expressions. Even Bepo patted Corazon's back with a sad face, the energy of the place coming down by notches. Law rolled his eyes and looked up at the ceiling, used to Corazon's moments.

With a slight sniffle, he straightened away from the counter. "Fine. If you don't want it, I'm going to Costco, again. Want anything?"

"No."

"I'll bring you your favorite ice cream. Those little rocket pops you always had to have, with the Mountain Dew flavor. You still like ice cream?"

" _No_."

Shachi and Penguin crowded up against Law, smirking with knowing expressions.

"So, _that's_ why he's so comfortable playing for his own team," Shachi murmured to Penguin behind his hand.

"He's had practice," Penguin muttered back, hand covering his own mouth as they then snickered.

"He must've been real popular with the boys."

"Oh, _real_ popular, indeed…"

Corazon looked at them curiously, then looked at Law. When both of them were replaced with an elderly woman walking outside and a policeman that had two hotdogs in his hand, Corazon hastily turned and left the shop, Penguin and Shachi barging their way back in with indignant faces.

The elderly woman blinked a few times, then calmly left the shop, the policeman standing there for some time before making his way out with a confused expression. Shachi and Penguin hid their faces from him as he maneuvered his way out the door with his hotdogs, and both men growled as they lunged for the counter.

"You're such an ass!"

"Why do we put up with this?"

"Corazon just let us know something very important," Law said, rubbing his chin. "Let's close up shop. I have a mission to undergo."

" _What_? Besides the fact that he has sticky fingers?" Shachi snapped, huffing as he went to lock the doors.

Penguin gave a jolt. "Did he just…did he just set you up?"

"Yes. Yes he did. I need to take advantage of it before Crocodile realizes what had happened. Let's go."

But there was a reason why Corazon had given him directions, Law realized later on, Penguin and Shachi hauling trash bags to a storage unit on the north side of the city. He scrolled through his phone, watching the security cameras at the shop reveal a three minute lapse of events that happened shortly after they left. Crocodile's men had stormed the shop looking for them. When they couldn't find them, they left the area hastily, the police rolling in moments later, missing the getaway car.

He then felt a twinge of apprehension as he pulled up Sanji's phone number. But the phone just rang and rang, and while he anticipated Zeff himself answering, that didn't happen, either. He looked at the others, debating on whether or not to make an appearance. He found the number to the restaurant, gesturing at Bepo.

Once Bepo took the phone, and cheerfully asked for Sanji once they heard the voice on the other end, Law leaned over to listen as the man cleared his throat. "The kid can't come to the phone right now. If you'd like to leave a message, why don't you come over here and leave one personally?"

Bepo hastily hung up, and looked at Law with dismay.

"Well, _shit_ ," he said.

Meanwhile, Crocodile's men paced the restaurant with agitated action. The tables had been destroyed, the windows shot out, food lying everywhere in a colorful mess. Chairs were overturned, the walls decorated with holes, the entire area smelling heavily of gunpowder and smoke. Crocodile hung up the phone, then looked at the two kneeling in front of him. They had their hands tied together with plastic ties, and someone had broken Zeff's peg leg, reducing it to a mere stump. Crocodile had worked the old man over, but Zeff only allowed it because they were holding Sanji at bay with guns to his head.

"Stupid kid," Crocodile muttered around his cigar. "Kids, nowadays, eh, Zeff? Too stupid for their own good. Too reliant on exposing themselves on social media, relying on their elderly parents to take care of them, and too stupid to realize what goddamn Yellow Pages, are. Do you know that app, kid? Yellow Pages? It's an internet phone book. And if the internet phone book can't give me the information I'm looking for, maybe it's the goddamn Google image engine. I looked up that damn calling card this brat left behind, found what I was looking for, and used a woman trying to pay off her student loans to go and spy on this stupid idiot that thinks he's smarter than me. Kids, these days. With more access to spyware than the goddamn government."

He grumbled, shaking his head. "And that idiot Doflamingo thinks I'm behind on the times? I'll deal with him later, for hiding this from me. I'll box his stupid head through this entire city, and deal with his idiot brother later. Both of them. _Trash_."

Zeff looked at him, teeth visible. "Let him go. Let Sanji go. He knows nothing about this. It was because of Arlong that he ended up finding out about this business."

Crocodile dashed the ashes of his cigar to the side. "Then it ends tonight. You'll have no heirs to carry on the family business. If I let him go, he'll desire revenge. We all know how 'The Professional' ended, right? Only this time, he won't walk away with a house plant."

"I never heard of that movie," Sanji admitted.

"Shut up. You didn't want to take my concerns seriously, Zeff. I negotiated to the very best of my ability with you. I'm tired of living under your damn rules. We've followed the rules for too long, and look where we ended up. I've had the police at my mansion every day of the week, since Arlong was taken in. That makes me nervous. You know why? Because I don't appreciate being spied on. I don't appreciate being watched. I didn't have to be watched. That's why we work together, so we are not watched, unless we make a mistake that needs to be corrected. Have I made any mistakes in my line of work that needed a correction, Zeff?"

"No," Zeff admitted tightly. "But you've never been so paranoid, before, either. You usually did not care if anybody was paying attention to you. Now that they are, what are you really up to, huh?"

"Not anything unusual, of course. I love my life. I enjoy what I make, how I make it, and where I've made it. I didn't come this far in life just to have it taken down because of a goddamn construction worker. You let this get out of hand, Zeff. Now I'm pissed. Now I'm angry. Now I'm frustrated. Now, I have to get my hand dirty, and you know how much I hate getting my hand dirty," Crocodile snapped, holding up his good hand, flashing all his rings. "It's been too long, Zeff! Your retirement hasn't come fast enough. You should've left it years earlier. You let your own judgment weaken because of this child, here. And why are you letting him go to waste, living this life? Aren't you aware of what his family was capable of? Kid, you should've worked for me. you would've gone places, traveled to exotic locations. Met very beautiful women. But instead, you chose to listen to your old man, and fell prey to a life of _nothing_. What a waste."

"Save your little villainous speech for someone who cares, ass. You want to do away with someone, you do away with them. But the longer we sit here, the closer your time comes," Zeff told Crocodile impatiently. "You want to shoot the boy? Fine. Shoot him. If you can."

Crocodile snorted, dashing ashes onto a nearby table. He signaled to a man standing near them, but Zeff was already in motion. He leaned to the side, whipping his large body into a roll that allowed him to kick Sanji's ready form at the man. Crocodile's men couldn't shoot, in fear of hitting the man himself, but Crocodile only allowed Sanji to blast right through him. Once Sanji landed on a table behind him, through, he crouched, and kicked the pitcher of water sitting there, right at the scarred man's face.

Losing his cigar, Crocodile whirled around furiously with his hands shooting out to form massive fists, but Sanji landed a foot against his mud soaked forehead, causing his head to ring. Then he landed a flurry of strikes from that position that ended with him kicking the man hard enough to send flying across the room, splattering against the far wall with an intense crash of noise. Crocodile's men looked after him with dismay, unsure if they'd seen what they'd seen – in that moment, Sanji quickly rolled to Zeff, intending on helping him, and the man stood up on his good leg, and whipped about with such force that the resulting wind velocity of his kick sent a few of the men around them flying.

He connected with his knee into Sanji's midsection, and blasted him through the back wall, getting him well away from the scene as Crocodile reformed himself slowly at the other end of the restaurant.

By the time Sanji managed to get up, staggering slightly, there was more gunfire lighting up the windows of the restaurant. He wasn't going to give up, through. He looked at his hands, realizing that the force of the kick and the resulting action of being blown right through the building had allowed him some freedom. The plastic ties had been shredded, and he pulled his wrists apart before making his way back to the office. He could hear Crocodile rambling on and on about being treated unfairly, with Zeff's replies moments later, and felt thankful that the old man was still kicking. Literally.

But he found his jacket, and inside his jacket was the pill he'd taken from Law's apartment. The sound of something massive shattering under tremendous force caused everything in the office to rattle and fall to the floor. But he unwrapped the pill and considered it for a few short seconds before taking it. Once he started to feel the effects of the drug take over, he pushed away from Zeff's office and ran back out into the fray, feeling every one of his limbs energized by seemingly tremendous power.

By the time Law arrived at the restaurant, most of the building was missing. The cars in the parking lot were either crushed under immense force from above, or smashed into accordion rows to the side. It looked like a bomb had been dropped onto the center of the area, and there was sand everywhere. Cautiously, Room already expanded within the area just in case he needed to move, he ventured through the parking lot, looking at everything around him. He found several of Crocodile's men lying unconscious, with obvious shoe prints on them. There was food scattered beyond one of the broken windows. Someone had left their jacket on the pavement in their haste to escape. Water dripped from somewhere in the building, spraying the waters in a continuous gush. Eyebrows lifted, feeling a strange combination of unease and wonder, Law wandered up to the restaurant, noting that one of the walls had a blast hole that expanded outward towards the parking lot. So he followed the trajectory path and froze for a moment.

Then he turned away from the building and hurried over, sword at his side for a second until the sound of crunching glass caught his attention. He looked over and watched as Crocodile himself staggered away from the building, missing large parts of him. He was grumbling and stumbling without direction, struggling to stay upright. He wasn't looking around himself. He just gathered what was left of him through the parking lot and continued walking away. Bewildered, Law watched him go. Then he looked back at the car that caught his attention and gaped at the teen that was lying over the windshield, parts of the car hood folded up around him. With one last look in Crocodile's direction, the man walking farther and farther away, he set the sword down and reached in to pry the hood away from Sanji. Then reached in through the broken glass and crushed metal and pulled the teen out from the car.

Sanji just cursed and groaned, looking around him without focus, and Law had to laugh because he'd never seen anybody take a hit so hard that they could crush a car with their own body. He really had nothing to worry about – it was obvious the teen was more capable than he thought of holding his own in battle against powerful foes. He didn't think anything of the affectionate kiss he placed on his bloodied forehead – it was just a reaction. Then he picked him up in one arm, using the teen's current size to fit him comfortably against that side of his body, Sanji curling over him with a garbled mutter. It was almost as if he were carrying an oversized child in one arm. Law then grabbed his sword and intended on teleporting him away to safety when the sound of movement caught his attention.

It was Zeff, and he looked pissed. Which kind of made him regret the slight PDA he'd exposed earlier.

" _Drop_ him," he snapped, almost on a wheeze. His battle wounds made him droop slightly, holding onto an exposed metal beam for support. Law knew he was safe because the man could not walk at all. "Get your damn hands off that boy."

"I'm only here to help."

"Your version of 'helping' is exacerbating the situation. Did you give him that pill? Did _you_ give it to him?"

Law froze for a moment, wondering what he was talking about, then recognized an ugly feeling because of it. He shook his head.

"No."

Zeff looked at him for quite some time, then suddenly whitened. His eyes widened, his mouth fell open slightly, and then he took to a knee. Alarmed at his reaction, Law looked at him with some concern but it looked like Zeff was battling something inside of him at that moment.

"What….what are your intentions?" Zeff asked him, his voice slightly garbled. "Your intentions for that kid?"

"Keeping him out of your family squabbles."

"Is that so?"

"For someone like you who tried so hard to keep him out of it, you're failing your efforts."

"What's in it for you?"

For a few moments, Law didn't answer. But he gripped the sword tightly in his other hand, saying, "He's my friend."

"Still? After all these years? What possibly could someone his age give to someone yours? There's nothing either of you have in common. You're useless trash, and he's a good kid. There is nothing someone like you can give to someone like him. Only trouble. And not only the sort of trouble that comes around in the form of warring syndicates, either. But the sort of trouble that men your age shouldn't be giving to impressionable boys Sanji's age."

At the stressed insinuation in that Zeff knew exactly what was going on between them, Law felt as if his hand had been caught in the cookie jar. For a moment, words failed for him.

"Your father told me to stay out of it. But how can I, now? Knowing that you're up to no good with a boy like Sanji? As if his experimenting with his girlfriend wasn't good enough, knowing that he's playing around with a man like you only makes things worse. I realize I can't control him, or force him to see that what he's doing is wrong, but maybe you should. Because after you're done doing what you're doing, what are you going to do next? Replace him? Break his heart? Is that what you were aiming for? Kids his age needs to stay with kids his age. Men like you don't have a heart or a conscious."

"His choice. Not yours."

"So you'll blame the younger for a choice _you_ made? After you're done?"

"Maybe it's not like that."

"I should've did away with all of you when I had the chance, back then. He would've never remembered you, the way he does his own family. Then he wouldn't be in this mess."

"Well, no time for regrets. Time to move forward. You done lecturing me, old man?"

"I obviously cannot stop him, anymore. He does his own thing. But I can ask this of you. You'll not treat him like a goddamn play thing. if you want to court him, you'll do it openly. Not sneak around about it, like he's a shameful secret. I can't control him, but I can contain the situation. If you continue to hide it, then you need to question yourself what your intentions are. But if you can be open about it, then prepare for the consequences of making a responsible choice in a world like this one. Maybe after some time spent with each other, you'll realize the age gap. You'll smarten up, and he'll toughen up knowing what kind of man you truly are."

Zeff stood slowly, using the metal frame to do so. "However, and I can't believe I'm saying this, but you can bet that I'm telling your father about this."

For a few moments, Law continued to stand there awkwardly, wondering when was the last time he was lectured for fooling around with someone's daughter. It had to be that time in high school when the girl he was with chased after him with a shotgun. He'd been amused back then, walking off without any regrets to the man's proposal – similar to Zeff's - but maybe he had something to think about, now. He wasn't committing – no, he was only caught, and he had to examine the angles of the situation because this one was completely different from a normal setting.

He had to chuckle. "Whatever works for you."

Then he was gone, and Zeff growled low, blood filling his face for a few moments. Then he looked off to the side, in the direction Crocodile had taken. The man was long gone.

With his fists clenched, Zeff sat slowly on the steps of the building and exhaled heavily, surveying the damage to his restaurant. Sanji had been under the influence of the White Rabbit when he battled Crocodile; his moves had been faster, stronger, and Crocodile's attacks had done nothing to stop him. Once Sanji had figured out how to hit him, the man had been near powerless. All Zeff could do was sit there and watch as both the blood of Sanji's family's abilities and the effects of the White Rabbit took over his sweet grandson's demeanor and rendered him a powerhouse against a man more experienced, stronger and more powerful than he. Then watched as a man that Zeff despised on the principle of the situation picked him up from the wreckage and left with him, laughing.

He exhaled heavily, closing his eyes. He had to let go. He'd seen enough. Sanji was no longer a child, and he was clearly making his own choices to get through the world on his own two feet.

The next morning, Sanji woke up with a massive headache, a sore body that refused to bend, and was dehydrated enough to feel cramps in every muscle group. He tried to utter a sound, but his mouth tasted like sand. His eyes were gritty, and even his skin felt disgusting. He blinked heavily and realized he wasn't home. After the events of last night, he wasn't sure where he was. He figured Zeff took them to a safe house, somewhere, until Crocodile calmed down enough for them to talk, again.

But that man didn't want to talk. Crocodile hated the feeling of being insulted and passed over, feeling as if his opinion meant nothing. He didn't want to reason with Zeff. He was through.

Sanji was grateful for that pill he'd taken. He would have to give it five stars. His reaction time was amazing. He'd never felt strength like that, before. He had to wonder if this was the high that Luffy sought whenever Luffy found a battle and wanted stronger opponents. He might have beaten Crocodile last night, but only with a synthetic aid. He imagined that the teen would be much more successful.

Smacking his mouth, he lifted his head, realizing that he knew the room. It was Law's, and Bepo was sitting there with his laptop. From the feel of things, Sanji realized that all his wounds had been tended to, looking at bandages on his hands and feeling them catch on the material of the sheets. He felt sore and achy throughout his legs and feet, as if he'd ran a long distance in bad shoes.

"Good morning, Sanji," Bepo greeted cheerfully. "How are we feeling, today?"

"Like shit," he croaked. "I'm so thirsty."

"You would be! You'd taken one of Dr. Hogback's supply. His is the only one of the White Rabbit that produces positive effects. Unfortunately, it's only available to serious syndicate fighters, like Dr Hogback himself. I'll go and get you something to drink. Please stay here, and watch this video. It's hilarious."

Once Bepo left him with the laptop, Sanji watched thrill seekers crash into various obstacles on their quest to becoming parkour master. The bear returned minutes later, Shachi in tow, looking down at him with a cautious examination. It was the first time Sanji had ever seen the man without his hat and glasses. It was also scary to see that the man was nearly as attractive as Law with his blue eyes, Asian features, and obviously dyed red hair that needed a touch up over black roots. He wore the top half of his hair in a tiny ponytail, to keep out of his face. Without his overalls, he was wearing a green oversized sweater, skinny jeans and fashionably bright basketball sneakers. Sanji would've never known this man was the same guy in the coffeeshop in his hat and glasses. He had to stare up at him with awe.

"You little shit, how dare you take things from me?" Shachi growled, kicking the bed. "You expect friendly treatment from me? Hell no! You're dead wrong! You should've just died out there!"

"Calm down, Shachi, it wasn't Sanji's fault. In his defense, he needed to protect his grandfather," Bepo said, paws out in a calming gesture.

"Is that little shit alive?" Penguin hollered, stomping into the room with a loaded rapid fire machine gun. Just like Shachi, he was without his hat. He was of obvious Asian descent as well, with slanted blue eyes, highly arched eyebrows, and black hair cut long on top, short on the sides. It was insane how ridiculously attractive the group was. Sanji feared females would drop dead with their awed reactions. "Let's make him _not_ alive!"

"Let's roll him up and throw him in the dumpster!"

"Make him take a nap in the harbor!"

"Let's get rid of the evidence!" they cried, causing Bepo to fret.

Sanji only scoffed, taking the water Bepo held out. He took a cautious sip, then didn't stop gulping until the cup was empty. He made short work of the ice, as well. As he crunched on the cubes, Shachi twitched with reaction, obviously not liking the sound.

"If you'd clean your shit up, curious kids wouldn't venture into places to satisfy their curiosity," Sanji said. "This place is a dump."

" _You're_ a dump!"

"Ooh, maybe not say that," Penguin said with a cringe. "Maybe that's not the right term, right now."

Shachi reddened. "Oh yeah."

"What's that mean?" Sanji asked curiously. Then decided he didn't want to know. "Where's Law? I need to get back to Zeff."

"We can't let you do that, right now. Crocodile is still on the loose. Plus he's pissed because he found out what we did with his vault," Penguin said with a cringe. "Plus he's pissed at Doflamingo and Corazon. Last we heard, those three were fighting over on the west side of town. So that's where boss-man went. He told us you needed to be baby sat. Little does he know, he left you with the wrong people."

"Yeah, kid, you wanna die young? We can make you die young!"

"Please. I'm getting up," Sanji said, tossing aside the blankets and finding that he wasn't dressed in his work uniform. He was in one of Law's shirts, and not much else. He pulled the blankets back on with a horrified air while the two men reacted with dramatics.

"He's already crossed a line!"

"It's terrible! Such a bright future! All lost on this hussy!"

Bepo looked at Sanji with a friendly smile. "He said you're to take it easy. You've experienced massive surface injury, but it's the aftereffects of the White Rabbit that will make it difficult for you. You'll experience a very small percentage of lost motor function, as well as a high temperature and vertigo. It's best that you rest."

"Like that stuff matters," Sanji snapped, holding the blankets around him and rising up from the bed. It didn't take look for him to fall back, legs giving out while his head spun and he felt moments from throwing up.

Unceremoniously, Penguin picked his legs up and tossed them back onto the bed. "Like we said, don't move! The floor is _lava_."

"Despite it having a five star rating, it'll leave you with a hangover effect for at least twenty four hours," Shachi said impatiently. "Every limb you used to fight last night was overtaxed. You've got tears in every one of your leg muscles from overusing them. Your bones are near breaking point due to overexerting them. And receiving attacks from others didn't register then, but they'll register today. You're not going anywhere anytime soon."

"I need to talk to Zeff. I need to know if he's okay. I couldn't see – that stuff wore out, and that man threw me through the wall. I only remember that a car sitting in the handicapped parking spot near the ramp stopped me."

"I'm not going to be impressed," Shachi said with a huff. "You're still a stupid kid. Like, we're doing this White Rabbit thing for a reason. We're trying to keep it out of your hands! All you stupid kids!"

"Whatever senpai's motives truly are, one thing's for sure, he doesn't want anybody else taking them. When he came back last night, he wasn't very happy that you'd taken it. In fact, there will probably be a savage beating waiting for you if he makes it back, tonight."

" _Very_ savage."

"Whatever," Sanji said on a sigh, lying back on the pillow. He tried not to be so happy about it. He could smell that man everywhere, and it made him feel good. "I'm tired."

"No running off. Or Bepo will savagely maul you to death with his ferocious fangs and claws."

" _Savagely_."

"There will be no savagery," Bepo assured Sanji on a whisper, as the other two left the room.

So Sanji rested because he wanted to, and not because he was told to. By the time mid-afternoon rolled around, he asked Bepo for the computer and logged onto his Facebook account so he can access his Messenger.

'Where've you been?' Zoro asked him. 'Zeff came to the school looking for you. After last night?'

'Safe. What's the word?'

'Nada. Oh, those guys are fighting down town. But it should be over, soon.'

'How do you think it'll end?'

'IDK.'

'He attacked us, last night.'

'That's what Mihawk said. I figured you were with that guy because Zeff was furious when he found out you weren't at school, today. Luffy was sitting in front of detention when he saw him. Said he was all beat up.'

'Crocodile is a tough guy. I ended up using something to beat him with.'

'You shouldn't do that. Don't rely on it.'

'it was an emergency.'

'I understand. But no more. You can be strong without it. Later. Lunch is over.'

Sanji signed out from Facebook and looked at his Instagram. Doffy had posted a video of himself laughing while Crocodile chased after him with a furious expression. It had received over a million hearts for a thirty second video of two syndicate heads trying to kill each other.

"Dork," he said with a light grin.

Later that evening, he and Penguin were playing a game of speed while Shachi made a run for takeout when Law appeared suddenly in the doorway to his room. He tossed Bepo his sword and looked at the pair sitting on his bed with a frown. Despite the events happening downtown, he looked in good health. Just tired.

"It's over," he said. "Crocodile just started fighting everybody. Eventually, he went into hiding to recover. He's down, just not out. Another group took his place to cover for the loss of him and Arlong."

"So, what happens now?" Penguin asked curiously, picking up all the cards.

"We rest, too. I'll talk with you three later on what we'll do, next. It's pretty important. It's one of the most important tasks we'll ever have to take on, and it does involve perilous risk to all our lives."

"As long as it allows me to escape my student loans!" Penguin said happily, rising up from the bed. "C'mon, kid, let's go watch tv."

"No, he has to stay. I have to talk to him about some things," Law said, kicking off his boots and removing his jacket.

"Fine. Shachi's coming back with Chinese, though."

"I'm not interested. I already ate."

"Sanji?"

"I don't feel like I can eat anything, right now," Sanji confessed with a wince. "I'm just thirsty."

"Bepo will bring in more water. Make it quick, though! I'm pretty sure Dancing with the Stars is on, tonight."

Once Penguin and Bepo left the room, Sanji looked over at Law as the man settled on the bed with a tired sigh. He reached out and touched his forehead, then leaned down and kissed the tip of his nose.

"What were you doing with one of those pills I'd told you not to take?" Law asked him sternly.

"If I didn't take it, I wouldn't've won that battle."

"I picked you up from someone's windshield. How is that winning?"

"We both landed a hit at the same time."

"I don't like that you did this. I don't like that you thought it was appropriate to take a pill like that from this place. I've been doing this for a reason, you know."

"We were outnumbered. I had to do something. Like I'm just going to stand there and let them kill Zeff, and myself," Sanji said with a frustrated huff, turning away from him. "Besides, who the hell are you to tell me how to live my goddamn life?"

"Quit trying to forget that I told you you're my slave."

"Shut up about that! I am not your damn slave!"

"Anyway, it doesn't matter. It worked out, in the end. But you'll never have access to that stuff from me."

"I don't want it."

"So," Law then sat up on the bed, looking the teen over. Sanji looked back at him cautiously, picking at the bandages on his hand. When the man reached out and dropped his hand between them, he gave a slow, steadying exhale. Sanji watched him, realizing that he was looked a little unsure of himself, and it was an odd thing to see after all this time. The last time he saw such an expression was when they were kids, and Law was looking at him like that because Sanji had been upset that Zoro didn't like his cookies.

"Zeff issued an ultimatum. Normally, I don't like when I'm issued an order or expected to follow a rule, or given the choice to either face up to a responsibility or walk away from it. I do what I want. But he knows of us. He made it very clear."

Sanji reddened. He found his hands more interesting to stare at with mortification on his features than meeting the other man's face, and he tried to breathe normally, wondering how Zeff knew. He wondered what had abeen said. He wondered what it meant, now, because how was he supposed to face the old man after this? Zoro was right – Zeff probably thought of him as a sexual deviant. Going from girls to an older man in a single day.

"But there are several things, here. One, he wants me to 'court' you out in the open, and not hide it. He understands that you'll just do whatever you want, as well, and accepts that of you. Telling you 'no' didn't work out on his end. If we are to continue doing what we're doing, he only suggested that I make it obvious. Two, because of our age differences, he's very sure that I'm only doing terrible things to you because you're at a disadvantage with your age. I'm obviously manipulating you and forcing you into this because you're not of sound mental capacity to make a decision."

"What."

"Third, Crocodile knows that we have a connection of some kind – he's already been prowling around my work. After last night, he'll really pour on the attention. After I called the restaurant looking for you, thanks to Cora, he was obviously expecting it. So until he's put away, he's going to use you in order to get close to me. Which is fine – "

"No, it's not."

" – because I'm sure you'll handle yourself accordingly. You're not some damsel in distress, I'm not worried about it. He can do whatever he wants. Fourth, Zeff made it clear that he was going to tell Cora what's happening. You know how I detest having to explain myself to that man. So instead of having Zeff beat me to the punch, I went and told him myself. Fifth, on that note, I'd already told the others in the other room that I was seeing somebody, but they don't know it's you. Unfortunately, I'll never hear the end of it once I reveal the truth to them."

"Lastly, I'm making it clear right now that this isn't a commitment of any sort. This isn't a relationship. This isn't something where I'm going to ask you about your day, and expect to go out with you whenever you feel like it. I will not buy you flowers, you will not tag me on any ridiculous memes, you will not, under _any_ circumstances, refer to me as your boyfriend, friend with benefits, back up husband, etc., etc. I will not hang out with you and your friends. I will not hang out with you and Zeff like we're some happy family. You will _not_ accept any of Cora's invitations or whims. You will absolutely not go anywhere Doflamingo asks you to go – you will _not_ accept anything from either of them. And you will not, under any circumstances 'hold' anything that they give you. Do not accept gifts from them, do not run any errands for them, and absolutely do NOT fall for Cora's impulses to cry when he doesn't get his way. Is any of this unclear?"

Sanji stared at him for several long moments, just processing all the things that were said.

"To sum it up, if I want to continue doing this, then we shall do so only when I find it fitting to my mood. I also ask that since you're forcing me to abstain, you need to abstain as well from other relationships with other people. All your attention and focus should be on me."

"Then, what is this?"

"This is just us using each other until we find something better to occupy our time with."

Sanji grabbed the pillow and hit him with it. "I am not the type of person that 'uses' anybody! What the fuck? How could you even say that? Like I strolled into this fucking thing all on my own! _You're_ the one that attacked me, first! Then you get pissed because suddenly it seems like a fucking commitment to you? You're fucked up in the head, you fucking jerk! Who the fuck are you to be setting rules on something that had made me happy?"

"I'm just being honest, here."

"I don't like them! I – I have feelings for you! I look forward to spending time with you, all the time! Yes, okay, I'll admit, fooling around is part of it, but everything else, I – "

"Like what, Sanji? What makes me 'fun' and exciting in that you'd leave your own friends just to come and see me? What possibly do we have in common enough in that not physical attention is needed?" Law asked him curiously, slightly nervous about it.

Sanji sat there for a few moments, staring blankly at him. When moments became longer than that, Law felt his face flush with unexpected humility.

" _See_? Nothing!"

"Well, we get along fine," Sanji admitted slowly, looking up at the ceiling. "But you're either giving me shit for being who I am and I'm usually giving it right back. Um…"

"What's my favorite color? What's my favorite subject? What's yours? Where do you see yourself in three years?"

"Uh, well…I'm pretty sure it was blue. Your clothes are usually dark navy, and, um, I'm pretty sure all the hard classes in your youth was your favorite, otherwise, why take advanced courses? My favorite color is blue. I see myself in culinary college in San Francisco."

"I hate San Francisco."

"You never talk about yourself, anyway, how am I supposed to know all that?" Sanji then asked impatiently.

"You never ask."

Sanji looked at him blankly, then growled, "You _never_ give me a chance! Every time I try to talk, you're either molesting me or lecturing me on watching over myself around these people! We've never really held a conversation!"

"Then this is only a physical thing between us! And we haven't even figured that out, yet."

"Admittedly, there is nothing to figure out. We pretty much are agreed where it's going."

"…Admittedly."

"Then what are we doing? Because I'm not – like, I can't just…if I don't agree to your terms – why am I agreeing to them? Why do you get to make the rules?"

"Because I'm older."

"That's a stupid excuse!" Sanji snapped at him. "That's not good enough! I'm not agreeing to it! First off, shitty old man, if you're consenting to continue this thing that we have, it's not going to be by your old rules. I make my own goddamn judgment! I make my old goddamn choices! I follow my own goddamn rules! If I want to give you flowers for no reason at all, I'm going to give you flowers!"

"I hate flowers. I'm allergic. And don't you dare. That's so gay."

"We're pretty much agreed that we're gay for each other! Goddamn homo!"

"Besides, while I admit that I do find myself preoccupied with the thought of you, I know shit about your life. Well, all the little parts in between. And I can't identify with any of it! And you can't with mine!"

"We got along fine as kids - !"

"We were _kids_ , kids find anything and everything to use to get along with."

"You were one of the hardest kids to please! You didn't grow up mentally, you just grew up physically! There's no difference between you at that age compared to this one!"

"Why can't you just be that way now as you were then? Saves us the time and trouble of _this_ ," Law said, indicated the heated tension.

"Because you will not control me, you bastard," Sanji growled, reaching out and snagging onto his collar, wanting to choke him. "I am not something you just pick up and play with and toss away because you're bored – and I don't do that to anybody. When I commit myself to somebody, I commit myself – "

"Oh, please, you were a hot little beast under my hands the night after you did the dirty with Nami."

"That's different!" Sanji practically screamed at him, red-faced. "I loved that girl since we were kids!"

"Then you can do the same for me."

"NO! Veto'd! Rejected!"

"Besides, what's in a relationship, anyway? Do we have to pretend that we like each other in front of everyone around us? What's the point in that?"

"I'm not pretending!"

"You can't say that when you know nothing about me, nor do you have any reason to even make me part of your life! We have nothing in common but our families, and even then, trying to stay away from them has been a major pain. What possibly could we talk about with just us?"

"Let's go and try it. There's nothing wrong with trying things. Besides, after everything you've laid out on the table, how in the hell do you possibly think that it's okay to disregard how I feel about the situation – "

"I will stop you right there. It was pretty embarrassing when you could find nothing to say when it came to us having anything in common. If we both sat down in a public setting, what would happen?"

"Things flow naturally. We just talk. We talk about things other than this! Quit overthinking things! You always do that!"

"I do not. I like to plan ahead and have a plan, and, to be honest, I never calculated this situation into my life at all. It just happened. I never looked at you as a kid and though, _hm_ , that's it, this human will be mine for the rest of my life."

"You always called me your future slave in training, how is that not similar?"

"That's different!" Law said with a slight huff. "Look, this is getting awkward. Either agree with my terms, or leave and tell your old man that I said fuck you."

"I don't agree to anyone's terms!" Sanji declared. "First off, this is my proposal – "

"You don't get to tell me what to do."

"Shut up! I do too! I get to have a say in this! This is my life, too!"

"I'll admit it, Sanji, I do think about you a lot. But whether or not it's only physical is something I have to figure out on my own. So maybe you should go back home and wait for me to say something and then – "

Sanji hit him again with the pillow. "I will not! I will not do anything under your fucking terms! _You're_ the one that kissed me first! _You're_ the one that looked at me like that in the first place! _You're_ the one sneaking in my room at night! _You're_ the one that's been there to help me when I needed it! You might say all that shit to make yourself feel better, but who's the goddamn homo always putting himself into uncomfortable positions with me over a 'physical' thing?"

Law snatched the pillow away from him and threw it aside. "Stop hitting me with that! I'll bitch slap you again if you keep that shit up, you stupid brat!"

"Do it, and you'll be sorry!" Sanji growled back. "I was caught off guard the last time, but I'll make you regret laying a hand on me, you stupid asshole! You're such a fucking dick, you're always telling me what to do! You did it when we were kids, and you're doing it, now! I'm not anybody's goddamn slave or servant, and I'm definitely not yours! My terms to this situation is this – you go ahead and court me in front of everyone. I will tell everyone that I'm seeing you. I will trust my own judgment regarding Doffy and Cora, and - !"

"I don't agree with you at all. Those terms are stupid."

"You're stupid! AND, if it looks like we don't have a fucking thing in common, you leave this area."

"Why do I have to move?"

"Because you've no attachments here," Sanji growled at him. "You leave this area and never come back."

"But I have to. I have a mission."

"And what's that mission?"

"I'm not saying right now."

"JERK!"

"Stop yelling at me!"

"I swear to God, it's like having another child up here," Shachi mumbled to Penguin, the three of them eating their takeout as they listened to the pair argue and yell, totally forgetting that the door was wide open. Penguin looked pretty traumatized now that he knew who Law's 'special someone' was.

"All those terms are stupid and I'm not following any of them. If you're not going to abide to what I've laid out in front of you, then there's no point in continuing this," Law told Sanji firmly.

Sanji stared at him in silence for a few moments, looking shocked. "You'd just – quit me like that. After all this? Just because I don't agree with what you want of me?"

"It'll be real easy, too."

"You're a fucking asshole."

"And you're a fucking jerk for putting so much pressure on me. I have a sensitive medical condition that prevents me from committing to anyone."

" _What the fuck does that even mean_? You're just a goddamn commitment-phobe because you're afraid of being hurt!"

"What the hell does that mean? I don't care! Nothing hurts me! Why should it? Everything that I do is on my terms only, not on anyone else's!"

"Darcy Rue from middle school, apartment 3K. I remember her."

"I don't."

"You had such a crush on her back then. But you couldn't talk to her. She'd walk right by us and you look right after her, but one day, she called you out on it. Then made fun of you because you had just gotten your braces. You humiliated her for the rest of the school year because she made you feel bad!"

"He truly was an asshole even then," Penguin muttered.

"I remember that because that was the only time you let yourself admit that you liked someone, and I tried to help you – I made cookies for her on your behalf! But, now, as I think of it, that was a mistake, because I fell for her, too, and tried to woo her. But she wasn't into eight year olds," Sanji then said, rubbing his chin. "Which was a shame, because I could return feelings you refuse yourself to have! You truly are afraid of love!"

"Stupid. You're so stupid. And you come here and say all that stupid shit - ! I'll throw you out the window with you dressed like that! you'll walk home like that, and I don't give a shit what happens!"

"Do it!"

Amid the sounds of a scuffle, Shachi sighed heavily, dragging his hands down his face with exasperation. "I swear to god, that guy can't even be cool with doing things normally."

"Well, I guess it goes to show that senpai really is human," Penguin mumbled. "He's such a big child. How embarrassing. How can such a smart, powerful guy like him be so goddamn awkward about things like these?"

Once the sounds died away, they heard Law say, "You need to take responsibility for it."

"You're a fucking jerk, why do I even like you?"

"Then we're agreed?"

"Yeah, whatever. Come here. I'll make you change your mind, stupid ass. Is it my turn yet?"

"Pretty much. Your grandfather consented on it."

Shachi got up from the table, and took the few steps needed to slam the bedroom door shut. " _Christ is watching you_!" he howled, red-faced.

"This is going to be so weird," Penguin muttered, elbows on the table, hands over his face.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Relationships are hard. Especially when you have nothing in common. D:**

 **Thank you for all your reviews! :D There's still more to figure out. Someone's heart is a little more fragile than he thought.**

 **Chapter Twelve:**

 **When She Was Just Small**

The next morning, Law woke up before Sanji. He could hear Penguin talking in his sleep, holding a conversation with an unseen person about the current state of affairs in a European country, and it sounded like Shachi had fallen asleep in the living room again, his snores constant. Bepo's was in tandem with his, the bear stretched out on the kitchen floor, where it was coldest. Accustomed to all the noises, he blinked sleep from his eyes and sluggishly put his thoughts in order. He reached for his phone to check the time, finding it near five am. He then ignored the near one hundred voice and text messages Corazon had sent him, and the Jared Fogle memes that Doflamingo had sent.

He tossed it aside and looked over, seeing that Sanji had fallen asleep on his side facing him. Law had to smile because when the teen was asleep, he was unguarded and vulnerable with his mouth open and his lashes fluttering, his curled eyebrows lifted high with his hair out of his face. It wasn't the most attractive face he could make, but Law liked it because it was almost similar to the 'o' face he had the pleasure of seeing. He reached over with a fingertip and lightly traced over the eyebrows, then down the straight nose to the curved top lip and down the pointy chin, where he could feel the straggly ends of stubble.

Sanji's face twitched in reaction and he pulled his head back, hands coming up between them just to curl slightly. Then he relaxed and was breathing softly again, and Law was unsure why his own heart gave a light thump just from watching the teen sleep. Maybe he was sick, or something. He then reached out and pushed a fingertip up against one nostril, and Sanji snorted in his sleep and slapped his hand away with a grumpy curse. When he resettled, Law did it again. Sanji growled and pushed his hand away, then rolled over. Law lathered his ring finger with as much spit as possible, then slipped it into the teen's ear, and Sanji sat up with an enraged curse.

"What's wrong?" Law asked with concern.

"Get your goddamn fingers out of my body!" Sanji snarled, rubbing his ear.

"That's not what you said last night."

"You will not lie about such things at this point in time!" Sanji snapped at him.

"It's time for you to get up and get home."

"Why can't you have woken me up all nice and romantic-like? With kisses and cuddling and nice, cheerful 'Good morning!' words, instead of behaving like a goddamn child?" Sanji grumbled, swinging away from the bed. He used one of the blankets to rub angrily at his ear. "Ugh, I'm all sticky."

"Oh? Did you have a wet dream?"

" _NO_! Oh my god, you're such a jerk. I'm taking a shower before I go. There better be some form of soap in there, or I will hate you even worse than before," Sanji muttered, striding to the bathroom and slamming the door shut behind him.

Law chuckled, then stopped in mid-sound, wondering if he truly did act as childish as Sanji claimed. He then shrugged, rolled over, and went back to sleep. When Sanji kicked him in the ribs to wake him up, he cursed and sat up as the teen finished pulling on the shirt he'd been wearing and pulled on sweats he'd found in the closet. Law appreciated the view for a few moments, finding it oddly alluring for the teen to wear his clothes. He pulled himself out of bed, grabbed his phone, slipped on his house slippers, and pulled on his hoodie. Bepo walked in to sleepily say goodbye, to which Sanji gave his thanks.

Not waiting any longer, Law bent and tossed the teen over his shoulder, much to his mortification.

"I'll be back later," he told Bepo as Sanji struggled to get loose, getting enraged by the second. He adjusted the teen over his shoulders into a fireman's carry so he could hold both his thighs down and his arms, causing Sanji much undignified distress. "I need to pick up a few things at the store. Text me if those guys get up and want anything before I come back."

"McDonald's," Bepo said eagerly. "No ham on Penguin's egg mcmuffin, extra sausage for Shachi, and five hashbrowns. I just want one of those parfaits, please."

"Sure."

" _Don't you dare take me home like this_ \- !" Sanji snarled before they both disappeared from view, and Bepo hoped they made it there okay, because it looked like Sanji was moments from bursting into flame with the position he was in. Bepo had to shake his large head with exasperation because for all his serious appearance, his master was still such a childish man.

Sanji made it to school just in time for the first bell to ring, and he was huffing and puffing as he did so. As soon as he found his seat in homeroom, Zoro leaned over his shoulder to say, "So you're not dead."

"Nope. I still feel all banged up, though," Sanji confessed.

"By the way, Luffy has detention after school, but we need to go to the aquarium with him after that. That ass Fullbody started a fight with him yesterday, so he needs to finish a project."

"I can't wait! I love the aquarium!" Sanji said cheerfully.

"Nami's still mad. Nothing unusual."

"I, uh, I have something to tell all you guys," Sanji then said nervously, turning around in his chair to look at him. "She's here, right?"

"You're not pregnant, are you?" Zoro asked skeptically.

"NO! Goddammit, no! _No_!"

"Well, with you, who can tell what you're up to, nowadays?"

"Blackleg, Roronoa, shut up!" the male teacher in front called out impatiently.

Sanji waved him off, returning his attention to Zoro. "I want to tell you all as a group. How would you feel if I told you that Law and I – "

"No."

" ' _No'_ what? I didn't even say it, yet."

"Sorry, I'm just used to that bullshit you bring up, so it was automatic."

"Moron! Just listen!"

"You don't come back to school after being gone for a day and expect to call me names right off the bat!"

"Algae head, Mossman, moss head, ape-face, ass – "

"Shut up, dumbass! I had a great morning so far, and you coming in to fuck it up with your stupid little temper tantrum is starting to piss me off!"

Sanji rattled his desk with impatience, and Zoro grabbed his chair and jerked it back and forth, the pair of them causing a lot of stares.

"Black Leg! Roronoa! Do you two need to be separated again?" the teacher shouted from the front, their classmates giving them impatient looks for interrupting the morning announcement.

"Why? Just so we have to yell over everybody's heads to talk? Separate us, then!" Zoro challenged him. "Then _everyone_ can know our goddamn business!"

"Goddamn it, Roronoa, one more challenge like that, and you'll hit the principal's office again, this week!"

"Already?" Sanji asked Zoro curiously, digging a sucker out of his bag. "What'd you do?"

"Used my swords to open my locker. I couldn't get the combination right, and I was late for class. I knew I shouldn't have relied on Luffy to wake me up in time."

"I'm here, now. You can rely on me, babe."

"Awesome. Because I am pretty tired, honey."

"You guys are such fags," one of their classmates muttered. "Arranging a napdate."

"Whatever. I'm secure with my masculinity," Zoro said, giving him a dangerous stare. "Why don't you and I step outside and you show me how awesome you are with yours?"

"Whatever, Roronoa. Sheesh. No one's going to fight you from our class."

"Now, what was your damn question?" Zoro asked Sanji with an impatient look, the teen already crunching on his sucker as he watched the exchange with amusement. It always made him laugh how many times guys backed down whenever Zoro decided to take offenses as challenges – his friend was just much too intimidating for any of their classmates to take on face to face.

"Nothing. I'll wait until lunch to tell you all equally."

So when the time came, Sanji nervously sat on the table so he could face the expectant faces of his friends equally. Well, most of them; Zoro laid his head down on the table and took a nap, not at all concerned with what he already expected.

"Um, so, remember, I was supposed to be honest and truthful about the things that I'd been hiding from all of you? I didn't want to talk about it until I had it all figured out on my own, and, well, some of it had to be revealed before I could even accept it myself, but there's, um, another thing. Another thing that happened, that I, uh, should share. It's…it's going to be…different."

"Sanji, did you fight Crocodile the other night?" Luffy asked with interest. "What was that like?"

"It was terrifying," Sanji admitted. "They rolled right up to the restaurant, forced out all the customers, then began shooting and fighting the cooks. The guy himself waited until the floor was clear before he approached us. He's way stronger than Arlong. I, uh…I ended up using the White Rabbit to help."

"I thought we weren't supposed to take that."

"I did it because I felt that if I didn't, we would lose. Crocodile had already taken down the old man, and he was going to do the same to me, so I had to do it. I didn't defeat him – there's no chance of me doing that."

"But I thought we all got rid of Arlong's stuff?" Luffy said.

"I…I stole this one elsewhere. Which brings me to my original spiel – I, uh…so, um, _wow_ this is harder to say than I thought…"

"Are you and your boyfriend exclusive, now?" Ussop asked curiously. "Because you didn't come to school, and Luffy said that Zeff said you were with him – "

" _Boyfriend_?" Nami repeated sharply, eyes widening.

"Yes, um, _yes_ ," Sanji confirmed, reddening.

"You're _with_ another _boy_? Is that why you - ? _You_ \- ! _Oh my god_!"

"Nami didn't know?" Luffy asked curiously. "Nami, _we_ knew a few days ago. He told Zoro in the bathroom."

" _You told Zoro_?" Nami repeated on a shriek. "You told Zoro but you couldn't tell me that you're seeing some guy?"

The other kids at the tables around them looked at them curiously, Nami lowering her voice with an embarrassed air.

Sanji didn't care about their opinion. "I tried, the other day, during PE, but…you were already angry, I felt that I shouldn't."

"Nami, his boyfriend is the guy from the coffee shop," Luffy relayed on a whisper. "We haven't met him, yet."

Nami turned wide eyes to Sanji. "Which one?"

"The hot one." Luffy laughed merrily. "Well, those are your words! I wouldn't know! I haven't met the guy, yet! Sanji, we need to meet him."

After a concerned look in Nami's direction, Sanji shrugged. "I guess. I would rather you not, though. He's a little embarrassing."

"Then why are you with him?" Luffy asked, puzzled. "You're admitting that you're with someone, so you obviously like him. Why is that embarrassing?"

"He's not the best people-person there is. He can be…sort of a jerk."

Luffy was obviously confused, staring at him blankly, Ussop's eyes rolling to the ceiling as he tried to figure it out as well. "Well…okay…so…why the big fuss, then?"

"Because… see, with the way the situation is, because of this thing with Crocodile, um…well, okay. Law has been chasing after the White Rabbit for some time, now. He destroys the labs. He's the one that destroyed Arlong's lab, and the alliance Arlong had with Crocodile. He's not affiliated with any of the syndicates, despite the fact that Cora's his father, and Doffy is his uncle. Now, Crocodile is pissed because he lost an ally and his labs, and he's mad at Zeff for letting Law do this. Unfortunately, because Law isn't in a recognized group and is only causing terror on other groups, he can't control him. Crocodile figured out who Law is. That's why he was fighting with Doffy and Cora yesterday. Now, after our battle the other night, he knows that we… _know_ each other. So…so you see how it can't be that big of a secret, anymore? And my old man knows, too, and…I guess he just made it clear that it shouldn't be hidden. So…so it's out there. So I needed to tell you guys so you know these recent developments rather than finding out unexpectedly."

Ussop stared at him with disbelief. " _Zeff_ told you it was okay to have a relationship with a guy? With a guy like him? Even if you aren't of age?"

"He's not happy about it, but he realizes that it's my life, I should be able to do things without having to sneak around about it. I guess. He doesn't approve, but he knows I'll just continue to sneak around to see him, anyway."

Nami stared at him as if he had two heads. Luffy shrugged a shoulder. "Whatever. I don't get this couple stuff. All I know is that two guys are kissing on each other and we need to be okay with it because some other guys don't like a guy."

"It's an association thing," Nami muttered darkly.

"I never planned on this ever happening. It just did," Sanji confessed, reaching over to pat Zoro's head as the teen snored loudly. "And I'm not going to apologize for falling for a man, I can only apologize for the feelings I'd hurt along the way."

"Are you guys going to get married?" Luffy asked suspiciously.

" _No_."

"Well, it's not that big of a surprise, really," Ussop said. "You're a pretty girly person, anyway."

"How is that even possible?" Sanji growled, kicking him, Luffy ducking automatically.

"So everyone has to know about this because…? "

"Because if Crocodile's desperate, he'll come after me for revenge."

"A fight?" Luffy asked, perking up immediately.

"Yeah. A fight."

" _Awesome_! Hey, Sanji, you should do this all the time! Find guys that are with strong guys and have them fight _us_ over _you_!"

" _Stupid_."

"This is so not right," Nami muttered. "I don't like this. I don't like it at all. I wish you could've told me this sooner, and not in front of these nimrods."

"I thought it would be fair if all of you knew at the same time."

"Well, it didn't work, because they knew more about it than I did!" she snapped at him, her face red. "I turned you gay, didn't I?"

"No," Sanji confessed. "In hindsight, before that happened, we were still, um…in the process of things."

"So you thought sleeping with me would turn you straight?"

" _No_. I thought sleeping with you because you wanted to would make _us_ closer together."

"I'm never going to go to sleep with anybody," Luffy told Ussop.

"Yeah, it looks like a lot of hassle," Ussop agreed as Nami and Sanji continued to exchange words over them.

Zoro sat up swiftly, giving a sharp curse as he stood and grabbed his swords. Their attention to him, they watched as he blinked sleepily, looked at them, then around them. "We're still at lunch?"

"Damn you!" Nami shouted at him. "You scared me!"

"I thought we were under attack!" Sanji exclaimed.

"Ha ha! Zoro's ready for action!" Luffy laughed merrily. "Okay, after school, then! We meet this guy! Maybe we'll run into Crocodile on the way!"

"No, that's not going to happen," Sanji said hastily. "We're going to the aquarium. Mosshead said, so that's what we're doing."

"Your favorite place to be, eh, Sanji?" Ussop asked cheerfully.

"Sanji, does that mean you'll be hanging out with him more than us?" Luffy then asked with concern, troubled with the potential loss of his friend. "Does that mean you won't fight, anymore?"

"No, no, nothing like that. Nothing's going to change. I'll be with you guys more than I'll be with him. He's got his own life, I got mine. It's not like where we'll be hanging all over each other, or anything like that," Sanji scoffed with an eye roll. He woke Zoro up with a shake of his shoulder once he saw the teen dozing off again. When Zoro didn't budge, he wet his finger and stuffed it into one ear, causing the other teen to shriek. "Both of us are a lot more mature than that."

But later on that afternoon, he was doing just that – hanging from the man's neck with a growl as Law walked awkwardly with both hands occupied with trash bags. Zeff had released him from his work load. With Luffy still serving detention, Zoro joining him after fighting with another kid over an insult, Nami mad at him and Ussop waiting for Luffy to get out, Sanji came over with some food from Whole Foods and was making the guys snack and dinner boxes for later. All he did was walk into the shop with his bags, fended off Shachi's broom with a foot, and told Penguin he would have food ready for them in a few minutes. Law himself had been delivering drinks to various tables, and Sanji had said nothing to him because he was busy. So when the older man approached him, by first hugging his waist from behind and leaning in to kiss his neck, causing a rather frantic makeout session, Sanji went along with it because it was expected. Then Law pulled away from him when it was getting intense by telling him he was being overly clingy, so Sanji snapped.

"You bastard! I've had a rough day at school, and you say this?" Sanji asked, wrapping a leg around his waist and biting his shoulder as he attempted to toss a full bag into the dumpster. Then he tried choking him, Law stumbling a bit before hauling the other bag in along with the other.

"Please calm down. You're making a scene in front of everyone."

"There's no one here! And you know my temper's short, and you just cross it all the time! I seriously blow my top every time you say dumbass things to me!" Sanji went on, frustrated with the mess that he was. "After I'm finished making you dinner boxes, I'm leaving to meet with the others. We're going to check out the aquarium, something about Luffy's assignment for tomorrow. I'm actually looking forward to it. Have you been there?"

"Kinda not interested. Listen, you do that. We're –"

"You don't like fish?" Sanji asked, leaning over to look at him from the side, wrapping both legs around his waist and hanging on as he walked back to the entrance door. "The aquarium is an amazing place to go. They have an entire section of the building with glass walls with fish and other sea creatures from this side of the world in there. It's really neat. It's one of my favorite places. And you get to play with manta rays and pick up starfish in a pool, and pose with sea lions, and there's also a special pool where sharks, fish and turtles swim together – "

"It's that nice, huh?"

"We should go. Just you and I, one day. I bet we'd have a lot of fun!" Sanji then said cheerfully, humping his back with enthusasim.

Law tried to dump him, but Sanji held on tight with all limbs. "I told you, we're not doing that sort of thing. I don't do 'dates'."

"I know you said that, but one day, you'll do it. I'll get you to change your mind, you stubborn ass," Sanji said, kissing his ear, licking the shell moments later as Law re-entered the building. He felt the man cringe, then shift, grabbing him by the waist. Moments later, Sanji was tossed into a nearby pile of trash bags near the side of the door. " _Jerk_!"

"It's not that I don't want to spend any time with you, it's just that I see no appeal in watching fish through glass cages. Animals don't belong in cages, they belong in their own environments," Law said, walking back into the shop as Sanji picked himself up and ran after him. When Sanji made to kick him, he picked up a chair from the break table nearby and fended off his foot with it, saying, "What is the appeal of stealing an animal from their home and placing them in controlled environments for human entertainment?"

"It's so people like me, who have never traveled the world like _some_ people have, can admire them and dream about visiting them in their natural homes!' Sanji exclaimed, trying to find an opening past that chair. He flipped up onto the counter, then lunged downward with an axe kick, splitting the chair in half. At that moment, Law stepped in, picked him up from the ground, and slammed him down onto the table. Sanji kicked out, catching him in the chin, twirled from his hands back to his feet and launched another series of kicks at him. Law absorbed a kick to his thigh, grabbed that foot, twisted and slammed him into the fridge.

"Animals don't belong in cages!"

"They don't belong in overalls, either!"

"Bepo's a free bear!"

"Then return him back to his home! Take him back to Zou!"

"No. Now he's my property."

"You're such a damn hypocrite!" Sanji snarled, launching up at him, but Law caught him with a low punch to the mid-section, grabbed him around the waist and slammed him up against the fridge again.

"You're so cute when you're trying to be all fierce and shit," Law told him with a look of amusement before leaning in and biting his collarbone, and Sanji yelled out before trying to headbutt him.

Steadying himself, Sanji then said, "I told my friends about you. So they all know. The last two want to meet you."

"I told you I don't want to meet anybody. I told you this isn't a relationship of any kind. It's starting to make me think I made the wrong choice."

"I told them that it wasn't that sort of thing – to be honest, I think it'd be hard to have something constant like that," Sanji confessed, reaching out to fiddle with the open collar of his work uniform. "The more I think about it, the weirder it gets. After all, the longest time we've been present in each other's company was that one half year. Like, what if it turns out this was only a physical thing? What if we aren't compatible for any long term things, anyway? What if we never have _anything_ in common to talk about? I was thinking about that in class, when I had everything to say to my friends, and I was trying to think about what _we_ could talk about besides shit to each other."

"Well, of course you wouldn't," Law said with exasperation. "You're a kid still dealing with high school dramatics, and I'm this cool guy running around with other cool guys in the streets trying to eliminate this stupid syndicate drug. We have nothing in common to share with each other but a physical attraction."

"But we got along fine as kids – "

"You keep saying that, but we're not kids anymore, Sanji," Law said, dropping him to the floor, Sanji landing with a grunt. "Of course we wouldn't have the same subjects to discuss!"

"Then let's try for new ones! I told you about the aquarium – what about you, what do you like to do?"

Law thought about it for a minute, then admitted, "I like to read. Mostly non-fiction. Not so much manga, but I will pick up a new trade paperback if it looks interesting."

Sanji beamed at him, reaching out to wrap his arms around his waist and look up at him from this angle. "What's your favorite subject?"

"Well, the medical field, obviously. My abilities count on knowing an extensive amount of – anyway, I need to get back to work."

"We're getting somewhere, and they're not here to ask for help!"

"This is getting too weird, for me. If I tell you this stuff about me, what are you going to think?"

To Sanji, the guy was obviously terrified of revealing too much of his real self to him. The obvious reluctance with answering his questions, combined with the sudden look of insecurity on those intense features of his said everything to Sanji. Despite his outward appearance, Law was obviously a man that guarded himself carefully against anybody coming in too close to him. So it made Sanji happy in that he was slowly revealing what he allowed so far.

"That's for me to know. And I think that it's cute that you still read like crazy, because you always had a book in hand. So I'm assuming you like visiting Barnes and Noble, then?"

"No, that's way too active, for me. There's a bookstore on the corner of Weston and Point that I like going to. The old lady there doesn't care what people look like as long as they like books and are more interested reading than talking or drinking coffee."

Sanji made a mental note of that address. "What type of music do you like?"

"Not your type, that's for sure."

" _Shut_ up. What type?"

"Uh, well…I don't really know. I don't…like, music wasn't that big of a deal to me. to be honest, I've no idea what's out there, anymore, other than what they play on Dancing with the Stars."

"Penguin was right. You're a fucking pretentious hipster."

Law huffed, pushing him away. "That's enough of the twenty questions thing. If you're going to have an opinion like that, then, why even bother asking - ?"

"You're such a brat! I was only teasing!" Sanji laughed, jumping on him once more, causing him to stumble and slam them both into the fridge.

"Stop hanging on me! I'm not a goddamn tree!"

"Could you guys _stop_ your freaking public display of foreplay?" Shachi asked impatiently from the open doorway. "Goddammit, we need help out here!"

Law pushed Sanji into the fridge, and leaned against the door to lock him in. Then he walked away from it to go back out front, and Shachi impatiently opened the fridge to let Sanji out.

"C'mon kid, toughen up! Just because he's stronger than you doesn't mean he's better," Shachi said as Sanji huffed, straightening his clothes as he walked back to the counter to finish their meals. Shachi fixed the shelves before shutting the fridge.

"Hey, Shachi, where are you guys going, tonight?"

"I don't know, we've got a new mission he has yet to tell us about."

"Shachi, I have some single girl friends that are looking for older guys," Sanji said helpfully.

"Unlike some people, I don't do jailbait. But if _Robin's_ interested - !"

"Eh, you're not her type. She's into really tall dudes with blue hair."

"It's always the tall ones," Shachi muttered, walking off with a dejected hang of his head.

Sanji met the others at the aquarium nearly an hour later, rumpled and disheveled because Law couldn't seem to keep his hands to himself. Nami hadn't shown up, and while he felt bad for it, there was nothing more he could do about it.

The four of them wandered through the building, taking photos and causing their usual loud chaos – Sanji posted all the photos to a collage on his Instagram. He took selfies with each of the guys, ending in a group photo at the exit. Because it had grown late, and Luffy still had to finish writing up his project, Sanji and Zoro walked the two younger guys home. After, Sanji found the bookshop Law was talking about, and walked in, Zoro trailing after him with a yawn. He was immediately overwhelmed with the sight of books stacked everywhere in rows, on shelves, piled in corners, and laid spine down on the floor. It smelled musty and dank, and the older woman at the counter, behind more stacks of books, was sipping vodka straight out from the bottle.

"You're lost!" she said, looking at them with a frown. "Turn around and head straight back out."

"Gah! _Mummy_!" Zoro cried, drawing back with a startled air. Sanji saw that this was so, practically jumping onto his back so they could make a quick getaway.

Both of them ducked the bottle that was flung in their direction, smashing against a nearby support beam. "I'm no mummy! I'm a young woman in her prime! How dare you? What the hell are you two puppies doing in my shop? This place is a thousand years too old for your kind!"

"If it's able to communicate with us, then it's not a mummy," Sanji assured Zoro on a whisper before rising up, looking at her. "Good evening! I was referred here by a friend."

"As you can see, this isn't a place where one can browse by category. If you find what you're looking for, you may take it for a penny less than it's listed price," she said, emerging out from the counter, revealing a tight crop top over braless breasts, low slung pants, and surprisingly unwrinkled knees in a short skirt with ankle boots. Her face was lined and tanned with immense age, her grey-blond hair flowing down to her thighs, sunglasses proper atop of her brow while another pair sat over her nose.

Both teens hugged each other out of horror.

"Why are we even here?" Zoro asked Sanji, shoving him towards the woman. "This place freaks me out."

"It would, wouldn't it, Roronoa? How's your father, nowadays? I bet he's still as fine as the day he left the government desk job that brought him here, heeheehee," she chuckled, looking a tad lecherous as Zoro looked at her with bewilderment. She then looked at Sanji. "And you! Zeff's grandson! I was wondering when you'd show up. I have a book for you. It's very interesting. Come take a gander."

"You know us?" Sanji asked her curiously, having to step over a small wall of paperback books to do so. Zoro did the same, carefully trailing behind him as stacks of books around them threatened to topple with his swords positionined as they were.

"I know everybody in this town! Especially those with high profile parents, and I'm not talking about the celebrities," she said, walking behind the counter and looking up at the books that were shelved, spine first along the wall behind the register. She pulled out a very thin novella, and gave it to Sanji. Looking over his shoulder, Zoro watched as he opened it, revealing a family history. "I figure Zeff only told you a little about yourself, but here is your history, kiddo. Dating all the way back from the late 1700's. I thought it might be interesting for you."

"That's a lot of incest," Zoro said, Sanji elbowing him away.

"Shut up, lame ass! What a thing to say. Shut up."

"So, is he really that important, old lady?" Zoro asked her.

She slapped him, and he wasn't expecting it, head whipping to the side with action. "I told you, I'm not old! But, yes, his family was important back then. Not now, of course, considering he's the only one left. And it'll die with him. Sorry, boo."

Sanji closed the book. "Well…considering I just found out about it, it's really not that big of a deal, anymore. I can't feel anything for something I don't remember having."

"You wouldn't, you were very young when your family was killed. Zeff was their head chef at the time – now that's one old motherfucker," she said. "He did a good job of raising you – you don't have the kind of eyes your family did."

"You knew them?"

"I told you, I know everybody! Now, what are you here, for? This place is nothing for you, kids. You look like the type that don't read at all."

"Um, my friend comes here a lot. I came here looking for something I could buy for him, as a gift."

"My customers are only people that know what I sell. It's surprising to see you here, but if you're here, you're already mixed up in it. Come with me."

Zoro and Sanji looked at each other, then followed her as she opened a door nearby. They descended a very narrow staircase to the basement. When she opened a heavy metal door, the lights snapped on, and they were in awe of a massive library, with shelves upon shelves of books that were nothing that they were familiar with. Along the walls were wanted posters, photographs with family trees, skeletons propped up in manners of death, and multiple safes with post-its taped to the doors with numbers.

From the book emerged a small reindeer with a serious face, holding an armful of books. He gave then a stern frown before shelving them, using a stepstool to do so.

"Chopper! We've visitors. This is Roronoa Zoro, Mihawk's son. This is Sanji BlackLeg, Zeff's charge," she said. "Sanji is looking for a gift for a friend."

"How may I help you two?" Chopper asked politely.

"Er, I have a friend. His name is Law – "

" _Trafalgar_? Heeheehee! What made you want to kill yourself so slowly associating yourself with him?" the woman laughed. "What a pain in the ass! From the time he was a kid to today, he's not afraid to ask about something if he doesn't understand it."

"I actually have his shipment prepared, here, along with some books of interest in the subject he last requested," Chopper said, leaving the cart full of books and making his way towards the very back of the basement. "Dr. Kureha here keeps a detailed record of all her customers here at the shop, so you don't have to go looking for anything else. All that we have on file for him is easily found upon request."

"So, Zoro, you look like a manly kid. Can you help me out over here?" Kureha asked him, pointing to the side.

"Sure. I wouldn't want you to break into a thousand pieces and get your dry mummy dust on anything."

"Stop calling me a mummy!"

Chopper showed Sanji a milk crate full of medical textbooks that were up to date, in great condition, along with vintage titles of a horror series. "This is all that he'd requested the last time. These textbooks, and volume four of this series, here. These last three I only pulled upon possible interest."

Sanji was glad Zoro had left to go help Kureha. But he struggled to hold in embarrassed laughter as he looked at the titles. He couldn't help but blush and feel thought of – the man was obviously very interested in making sure his future sex partner was satisfied. The How-To manuals were a great indication of planning, and he looked through each one with some mirth.

"He was very interested in the subject the last time he was here, so Kureha thought he'd like these books, as well," Chopper said seriously. "Also, these two were hard to find. These are the history books he requested, and the polar bear fact book at sixth grade reading level."

"Don't let him know I saw these ones," Sanji said, handing him the manuals. "He might get embarrassed if he knew that I saw them. I'll take these history books, and the polar bear one."

"That's fine. He's usually very picky about the shipment and always haggles the price with Kureha. I will go ring these up and wrap them for you."

When the tiny reindeer went to do that, Sanji turned and went in search of the others, smiling widely. Zoro was hauling books from one crate to a cart, Kureha harassing him the entire time.

"It's a shame you're here," she said. "Zeff worked very hard to keep you out of it."

"Unfortunately, it was only by association that I fell into things," he said.

"I heard. Well, too late to turn back time, now. All I ask is that you do not participate in any of their matters. It's getting sticky out there, and you'll find yourself having to choose when it comes down to it. The only advice I can give you at this time is – don't let yourself think they're all your friends. Because it'll bite you in the end. Anyone associated with this world is here for themselves, for their own gains. There's nothing redeeming about it. Trafalgar might think he's doing a huge favor by eliminating the labs around here, but it'll explode in his face when it hits too close to home, for him. He'll hit that rock bottom soon, when he finds the original source of the problem."

"Is he getting close to it?"

"Not yet, because the syndicates are still there. Once he finds it, the syndicates will fall, and he'll know he succeeded. How are you two friends, again?"

"We used to live in the same apartment complex. We reconnected."

"I'll bet," she murmured, looking him over. "In what way?"

"As friends."

She looked him in the eyes, and he looked away because her face was really old up close, and he feared she would sense his inner disgust. "Tell me, Blackleg, tell me personally – what do you think of your life, so far?"

"It's…it's been pretty normal. I've had no complaints. Zeff gives me too much material things, I have good friends, I have good grades, I enjoy my social life – this stuff here, it's brand new, but I haven't been bored," he replied honestly, Zoro reappearing at his side with a swipe of his brow.

"Where do you see yourselves in three years?" she asked.

"Culinary college!"

"Traveling the world, looking for competition," Zoro answered.

"You know, you can find all that you've ever wanted and needed here in your own city? Yours is easy, Roronoa. As long as there are syndicates, you'll always have someone to fight. As for you, Sanji, I can give you the name of a place you can go to that will teach you everything you'd ever wanted to know regarding your culinary interest. But I'd rather you waited for awhile. It can be…pretty intense."

"Who are you, anyway, old lady?" Zoro asked her. "Obviously not just a bookshop owner."

"I'm Kureha! A beautiful flower barely in bloom!"

"Shit."

"I have your package ready!" Chopper called down. Kureha ushered them to start walking, slapping their asses as they turned to do so.

Once they left the shop, Zoro tucked his hands into his pockets. "Something tells me that's not all she sells, there. I was joking about the mummy dust, but her shirt had powder residue on it."

"How could you be looking at her damn shirt? Was that all you were looking at?"

"Shut up! I'm not perverted like you! Also, there was another doorway inside the shop on the left wall. It had water stains on it. It was also very warm."

"She's old enough, she probably grows stuff in the other room."

"Maybe. I'll ask Mihawk about her. I'm going this way. Later."

"Thanks for coming with me. see you at school tomorrow."

By the time he made it home, it was nearly his bed time. Zeff wasn't home yet, and Sanji was embarrassed about seeing him, anyway.

Earlier that morning, Zeff had been drinking coffee in the dining room, so seeing them appear so suddenly in front of him had him kicking out with such force that one of the walls cracked. Then he grew flustered at seeing Law holding onto Sanji in that way, and went on cursing and threatening the man in his first language, much to Law's indifference and Sanji's horror. Law made it worse by kissing him goodbye in front of Zeff, and the old man nearly had a heart attack.

"You said in front of you!" Law had told him impatiently, before leaving.

Zeff had purpled at that point, and ended up smashing the kitchen table with his rage, but since he was technically right, he couldn't do anymore than that. He had looked at Sanji with such fury in his face that Sanji was, for once, without anything to say. But all Zeff did was look him over and tell him that he was glad he was okay. After that, the entire thing was dropped, and Zeff cooked him breakfast while he changed into his school uniform. There was some awkwardness to the entire situation, but Zeff didn't lecture him or bawl him out and Sanji allowed himself to tentatively wonder if things were actually _okay_.

It seemed weird that Zeff would be 'okay' with the situation after all the effort he put in trying to kill the man.

But he guessed it made a lot more sense keeping an enemy close. He took a shower, posted to his Facebook about today's adventure, then went to bed. He woke up later on as Law curled up next to him, and Sanji had to smile because who was being 'clingy' in this supposed non-relationship? But he wasn't complaining – the man was too sleepy to annoy him with his earlier antics – he just laid his head down on Sanji's chest and went to sleep with Sanji playing with his hair. When it was time for him to get ready for school, Zeff sleeping in because it was his day off, Sanji presented him with the books he got from the store. They were wrapped with the bookstore cover label and twine so he couldn't see the content of them until he removed both. Law looked at him with a careful expression.

"I asked that we not do this sort of thing."

"And I told you that I'm going to do what I want. If I want to buy you a gift, you bastard, I'm going to buy you a gift. Chopper had suggested these based off a request you'd made a previous trip there."

"I don't want to do something where you have unrealistic expectations of me."

"I didn't have any 'expectations' of you. I told you before, I'm the type of guy that will do what he wants, and I'll do whatever it takes to please you. On my expectation, of course."

"You're going to do to me the way you treated Nami? By throwing yourself into these stupid things just to express affection and lay down territorial stakes? I don't want gifts from you, Sanji. I told you, I don't want to get into this couple thing! This thing we're doing is fine, it doesn't need any weight to it with gifts, and expressions of any type of affection!"

"Stop freaking out. I just thought it'd be nice to get you something from your favorite place."

"Get it through your damn head! I don't want this type of thing! Take these back."

"I'm not taking back a gift I bought for you! Just take them! Don't think of them as a gift."

"They'll look nice on your goddamn shelf, then," Law snapped, tossing the books onto his desk as Sanji's face reddened and tightened. "Don't do this shit again."

" _What the hell_?"

For a moment, a look of frustration caused Law to scowl. "Look, maybe you need to redefine your expectations of what you want from this. So far, it's pretty much only physical. It should only stay that way."

"There's more than physical feeling here, you ass. And you know it. And you're scared of it. There's nothing to be scared of. Just let it happen."

"Then I'm pulling back, then. You need to know your place."

"I know where my place is! I'm not pushing for us to be together all the time, but the times that we do have together, that's fine by me! I have a life, too, you know, and it's not always about you! Yes, I do think about you a lot, but I want to do these things just to show it - !"

"I don't need those things! I don't want you wasting your time and effort on those stupid things because I don't want them!"

"Quit being so damn scared about someone caring about you! I obviously don't care about your flaws and your faults, I just care about you!"

"You don't even know me enough to know what my flaws and faults are!"

"Then let me learn about them on my own!"

"This is not the sort of thing that I wanted in the first fucking place!"

"Then what did you want when you first started coming around?" Sanji snapped back, rising away from the bed.

At first, Law didn't know what to say. But then he said tightly, "It was experimentation. I didn't think it'd go this far."

"Well, it has. And you can lie to yourself about not caring, or having feelings, or whatever, but you're here, and you have them for me, I'm not stupid."

"Then if it's my fault, then I'll stop it."

"Don't you dare go back when you're already this far ahead. What was the point of wasting your time if you're just going to give up on it before it really happens?"

"That's for me to decide. _I_ decide how I'm going to waste my fucking time. _I_ decide how I'm going to spend my fucking time. If I decide that I _did_ waste my fucking time on something so fucking ridiculous, then that's for _me_ to fix on my own! Don't get me anymore gifts! Don't waste your fucking time trying to make this more than what it is! You moron, I'm not one of your stupid girls that you waste all your time and effort on trying to woo, or whatever. I'm not a goddamn female!"

"I know you're not! I'm not trying to make you feel that way! I just bought you some goddamn books because you like books! There's nothing wrong with that!"

"There is _everything_ wrong with that! You're going to expect reciprocation from me, or expect that I be a certain way towards you, and I can't be that! I mean, what the fuck? What's the first thing you hear about me when you mention my name?"

Sanji didn't want to say, but all those voices and expressions of people he'd met that knew Law had all expressed their feelings of the man in a similar manner. He made a face because it was easier to answer that way than physically say anything at all.

"See? What makes you think I'll be any different to you? I've made enemies with everyone my entire life, what makes you think that this personality will change just because I started fucking around with you? You think I won't disappoint you, too? Then you're fucking stupid. Quit putting these expectations on this thing we have, and restrain yourself from extending any efforts to express whatever emotion or need you have for me because I won't have it."

"Fine!" Sanji snapped. "Then what the fuck do you want me to do?"

"Just be there when I want you to."

"What about _my_ choice?"

"You don't get one."

Sanji tried to resist strangling him, hands shaking as they reached for that neck, but the urge was so great. He turned away and sat at the edge of the bed with a huff, facing away from him.

"Whatever. _Leave_. I obviously have some things I need to think about with you."

"Whatever."

That was the only indication Law had given him of his leave, because when Sanji turned to look at him, he was already gone. Frustrated, he bit his finger, trying to sort through the tension and the argument and feeling confusion and rejection in the efforts.

The entire day, he kept looking at his phone. He kept himself from going to the coffee shop because he felt Law wouldn't be there. He ran the situation in his mind over and over, and the more he thought about it, the more he told himself Law felt the way he did because he was so used to thinking of himself as a disappointment to everyone. If he could keep everyone at bay, then he wouldn't feel hurt if what effort he put into someone turned into a painful situation. it was easier to maintain his reputation with his actions than doing something different and risk getting hurt.

Sanji had it all figured out. But it was hard to feel disappointment when he didn't hear from the man that day. When Friday came about, and he still hadn't heard from him, he debated whether or not to make the first move.

Zoro was sitting behind him, his back against Sanji's, both of them waiting for Luffy to finish his battle against a formidable foe just behind the school. Sanji scrolled through his apps and chewed on his sucker because his cigarettes had been taken away by Tashigi, and glanced up when Zoro made a scoffing sound. Luffy was currently being beaten into the street by the other guy's massive fists, the sound ringing out through the park like metal on rubber.

"Luffy! Stop fucking around!" Zoro said impatiently, crossing his arms. "You want hotpot, or not?"

"You know all the magical words," Sanji said, grinning as Luffy pulled himself out from the body sized crater in the pavement and landed a hard right on the kid's skull. "Hey, so…I have a problem."

"I literally can't help you with it."

"Shut up. So, we had a fight the other morning. Remember those books I got him?"

"Yeah. From the mummy?"

"So, like, he was insulted. That I bought him gifts. We had a talk and all, and there are rules, but…"

"So you're treating this guy like you would with Nami? Or any other chick? Sometimes guys don't want gifts."

"I do," Sanji muttered.

"You have unrealistic expectations of yourself. You think it's all only you, but you got to realize, those dreams of yours? Are really high. You think life is perfect if you're totally all giving and buying stuff for these idiots, and you'll get their adoration and devotion in return – "

"I do it because I like making people happy!"

"Sometimes, people feel pressured because you're always buying them stuff! Or making them stuff! They feel like they have to return it somehow, and they can't reach your goddamn standards!"

Sanji huffed. "I don't expect anything from them, just acceptance! Just take my damn gift! I made it from the kindness of my heart, without expecting anything back!"

"Well, that's not how people see you. I personally think you give way too much of yourself to people. That's why Nami took advantage of it. That's why those girls you used to chase after just used you to buy them stuff, or take them places. They don't want you. They only want the material things you give them."

Sanji sighed heavily. "Then _what_ , then. What do I do?"

"I don't know! Just do what he tells you to do. Why are you even asking me? Like I even know that sort of thing."

"So, if it goes against everything that I am, just do what he wants me to do? Live the way he wants me to? That's not even fair to me."

"Well, obviously, your way isn't working, is it?"

Sanji huffed again, but his shoulders drooped. He lowered his phone to his side and frowned at the park, the city lights in the distance starting to rise up against the incoming cold. Zoro looked back at him because he didn't hear anything else, and shook his head impatiently.

"I'm tired," he said.

"Me, too," Sanji agreed, as Luffy finally sent his opponent flying, the kid slamming through some trees and the kids' playground with a roar of sound.

So when Law finally came to him one night, nearly a week after his birthday, Sanji didn't say anything. He didn't give an apology or a gift, he didn't pry into what Law had been doing all this time, he didn't even make the effort to be angry. He just went with the situation, but it didn't feel as good as it usually did. He didn't feel the same type of spark or intensity or effort that he used to, going only on physical reaction. He had all the feelings, but he was determined to go along with Zoro's advice. After, Law held him tightly from behind, and Sanji could feel that he wanted to say something, but he was holding himself back. Sanji let it go because his way didn't work, and he needed to see if this would.

"So, the others are wondering when you'll come back," Law said quietly.

 _Them_? _Or you_? Sanji wanted to ask, hoping that it was really the latter.

"I'm sure they'll be fine. They got this far in life without me," he said lightly. "Besides, I'll be busy. I promised Ussop I'd help him with his science project, and Zoro needs a sparring partner for an upcoming competition. And I get to go back to practice, so I'm pretty much busy."

"Cora has been looking for you."

"Cora knows where he can find me. I usually tag all the places I'm at on Instagram. What about you, though?" Sanji couldn't resist asking. "Have you been looking for me?"

"No. I know where I can find you."

Sanji didn't want to feel hurt, but he did. He just exhaled heavily. "I'm tired."

"Me, too."

But Sanji noticed that Law didn't sleep at all when he did. And in the morning, he woke him up with kisses to his face and a soft 'good morning', which confused Sanji immensely, but he was going to take whatever he could get from the situation.

That day at school, Sanji was hunched over his study packet for an upcoming math test when the guy next to him said, "So, I heard that you guys were hanging out over at the Snack Hut over on Rockhold."

"Yeah? So?" Sanji asked with a huff, looking at him with a scowl. "It's not our fault people find us intimidating."

"Shut up, Blackleg! Look, my uncle owns the place. That Luffy kid cleans him out all the time. He had to close up to redo inventory and restock the supply. But he has another place closeby on Sunset and Quinoa that's bigger. Why don't you guys hit that one up? I cook in the evenings, I'll give you a discount."

"We're not usually in that area. That's too far west."

"Fine. Whatever. Just trying to be helpful."

"If I wanted your damn help, I'd ask for it. Since I didn't, I don't want it!"

"You're such a angry shit!"

Sanji stretched a leg out and tried to kick him across the asiel, but he pulled himself back far enough to just avoid the extended foot. Zoro frowned at them both, steadying his desk when Sanji bumped into it. He punched him in the shoulder to make him calm down before their teacher looked up from the group of students around him.

"Settle down. Look, we'll go there, tonight. Luffy likes that sort of thing," he told the kid. "But you better hold good on your word."

"Cool! I'll let them know you guys are coming," the kid said, giving him a cheerful smile.

Sanji turned in his seat and glared at Zoro. "Did you just undermine me? That's the west side of the city."

"Are you scared? Is that why you don't want to go over there? Scared of Crocodile popping up from the shadows to eat you? Hah. Wuss."

"NO! Whatever. I can skip out on practice, since I won't make it in time. It's just one night."

"What kind of practice, Blackleg?"

"Shut up! I wasn't looking in your direction, so don't think you're part of the conversation!"

"You shut up! I was just asking!"

Zoro frowned down at his packet. That kid was way too interested in Sanji, he felt. He wondered if he should address it to shut them both up, but then he caught sight of a mistake he made on his packet and erased it, carefully marking over it with the correct answer. He forgot about it minutes later, short attention span the very bane of his existence.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Twelve hour days are pissing me off. Can I just zone out and think about my story? No. I can only zone out and thinking about dying (not literally but my feet hurt). Looking for Titans is hard…okay. All the characters are set for this year. No more. :D**

 **Guest: Zoro and Sanji do have a nice friendship going on, don't they? :D Bromance level 9000!**

 **Chapter Thirteen:**

 **When The Men On The Chessboard…**

The past two weeks had been terrible. It was his fault, really. He was the one that started the entire thing. Technically, he was the one with the first attraction. Realistically, he knew feelings were going to happen, otherwise why set rules? He just didn't know it'd happen to him.

So when he put space between them to teach Sanji a lesson, he shot himself in the foot. He expected Sanji to just show up to the shop anyway, to text him despite his prickly display of temper, to apologize first for breaking a rule, and when Sanji did none of these things, Law definitely did not expect to feel the way he did.

The kid always apologized first, especially when it wasn't his fault to begin with. So when the days passed and Law accepted that Sanji was finally finally going to do what Law told him to do, he couldn't believe how much it backfired. It was as if he were receiving that apology card all over again, when Sanji knocked him out with a kick.

'I'm sorry…Not. Go fuck yourself.' Only this time, Sanji was saying it in present form, by actually abiding to the rules that Law set himself.

What made it worse was that Sanji didn't even tell him 'Happy Birthday' when it came, and he was really expecting the teen's presence, then. It was definitely a strange emotion to feel when the teen didn't show up at all, and his phone remained miserably silent. When Law finally went to him, he noticed that their kisses didn't taste the same, and while Sanji did enjoy finally being able to touch him, even his touch didn't feel the way it should have. The teen was happy being able to return a favor, but even that felt forced. When Law was holding him afterward, the teen was stiff in his arms, and he couldn't sleep because how the fuck could he be holding this boy in both arms and still be so far away from him?

He finally realized why people snap when in the midst of feeling too many emotions for one person. That endless cycle of need, want, frustration, control, fear, uncertainty, and expectation turned sane people insane. Or…so he heard. Not that he was insane in any way. But he could see how it could drive a person to insanity.

So when Corazon showed him Sanji's Instagram post of him and his friends at some snack food place on the west side, the teen looking happy and carefree with some unidentified kid leaning over him to be included in the picture, Law's reaction had been immediate. He hit that phone across the shop with a frustrated growl. How was it that the teen could look so cheerful when he himself felt like absolute shit?

"Lovely. I just bought that one," Corazon said, watching it shatter on the floor. "What the hell is your problem?"

"I thought I saw a snake. I just saved your life."

Corazon took a few moments to study his son, noting the shadows under his eyes, the sullen pout to his face, the droop of usually proud shoulders. Bepo was sitting nearby, the usually cheerful bear watching his videos or visiting with shop patrons with a sad smile. His eyebrows lifted curiously. "You are in such a foul mood, right now. Why?"

"Nothing. I'm fine. Everything's fine. Business is booming."

"Sanji hasn't been around in ages," Penguin whispered behind Corazon, serving the man a couple of cups of coffee, in case he broke or dropped one. "Senpai's been on edge."

Corazon frowned at Law for a few moments, before reacting with a jerk at the sight of an elderly woman standing there, blinking curiously. She smiled at both, patted Corazon's head, and walked off. Penguin came stomping back in moments later, holding the door open for her.

"Knock it off!" he howled.

"I wouldn't worry about it, Sanji's very forgiving," Corazon said, carefully picking up a cup. "Whatever you did, he'll find a way to forgive you."

"It's been two weeks."

With a surprised face, Corazon exclaimed, "Well, aren't you shit out of luck? I just got used to the fact that my son is a damn pervert, and the kid already broke up with you?"

"There is no 'breaking up' if there wasn't a relationship in the first fucking place."

Corazon removed his hood and fluffed out his hair. "So you tell yourself. You always had eyes for that kid, I just never thought it'd manifest the way it did today. I just thought you were grateful someone was more stubborn than you were."

"I didn't always have 'eyes' for the kid. It didn't happen like that. It happened overnight."

"Keep telling yourself that," Corazon murmured. All he saw at that moment was walking up to the couch one day, some cartoon on the screen, and Law was looking over at Sanji with such delight over sharing his favorite show with him, that Sanji was giving him a friendly smile back, clearly game for the adventure. It had made Corazon nearly weep with emotion, which mortified the kid so intensely that Law refused to smile again like that in Corazon's presence.

"Did you just drop by here to talk shit? Because I don't have to sit here for this."

"No. I wanted to know if you needed anything before your uncle and I traveled to Florida for a couple of days. He wants to see alligators in their natural habitat. I guess we have to go to a golf course to do this. He doesn't want to go to the zoo. You can't pet them, there."

"I don't know why you have to drop by to ask that."

Despite the bad temperament, Corazon had to smile. He tried not to make it so obvious, but he was actually pretty delighted Law was feeling the way he did. To Corazon, it only made him feel grateful – his son was actually capable of feeling for another person to be bothered by their absence. Which gave him hope.

"You're so surly when your heart's broken," he commented, just so that he didn't make Law feel weird.

"Cora, no one's heart is broken!"

"You want me to buy you one of those ice cream sandwiches that you like from the corner market? The one with the sprinkles?"

"Fine."

"Let's go to dinner later. If you teleport me one more time, I'll show these two photographs of our vacation to Rio when you were twelve."

Law resisted because he thought he'd destroyed all the negatives to those damn things. He rose up from the table with a growl, then strode away, Corazon sitting with a victorious smile. He watched as Law disappeared into the back, and finished one cup of coffee. Then his eyes lit up because at that moment, for Sanji strode through the door, and nearly tripped on the wet floor.

"Nice try!" he snapped at Shachi.

"Hussy!"

"Emo freak! Hi, Cora!" Sanji then said cheerfully, looking at Corazon with such a bright smile that Corazon couldn't help but smile back just as brightly. Shachi felt blinded by the two's considerable cheer and similar happy faces, slipping over the spot he'd just mopped and having Penguin howl with laughter from across the shop, where he was visiting with a couple of guys over a computer game. Sanji then pulled out several wrapped packages from his school bag, and tossed a few to the other two nearby. "Look what I have! Ice cream in the shape of tacos! Isn't that amazing?"

"I love tacos in the shape of ice cream!" Corazon exclaimed.

"And, I brought this for you two," Sanji said, veering over to the counter and withdrawing a couple of containers, Penguin looking over with interest. Sanji revealed them to be a healthy serving of thick cheeseburgers and thicker slices of potato cubes, seasoned with spices. Shachi and Penguin didn't even hesitate to dig in, Sanji quickly handing over a smaller container with sides and packages of ketchup and mayo. "We ate out today, at this place called Snack Hut. You guys should try it out. It's better than ballpark food."

Sanji then sat across from Corazon with a tired air. For the first time, Corazon noticed that the teen's school uniform was in disarray – he either had food stains or bloodstains all over his white shirt, half of his tie was missing, and his blazer was still smoking. "Where's Law?"

"In the back. Crying because you smartened up and stopped going out with him," Cora answered, eating one of the tacos in one bite. "Mm. Chocolate drizzle."

Sanji had to laugh because Law was incapable of such things. "There's no breaking up if there isn't a relationship. Law made it clear that we don't have that."

"Why are you hanging out with Gin, Sanji? Don't you know that's Don Krieg's little underling? Short fuse. I think he transfers schools a lot."

"Ah, no wonder I had no idea who he was. He probably transferred in recently, I don't notice guys. Now, if he were a girl, I'd know her entire family composition, her birthday, her likes and dislikes, the brand of conditioner she uses…anyway, he invited us to his uncle's Snack Hut, and my friend Luffy doesn't turn down food. There was nothing special about it, though. I got into a fight with one of their cooks, who took offense to my opinion."

"You're wearing half of it on your shirt."

Sanji examined himself with a frown, removing the necktie.

Corazon stared at him for a few moments, brow furrowed. "So you like girls, Sanji?"

"I've always liked girls."

"Then why are you with my son?"

Sanji had to resist telling him the entire truth, trying not to blush. Telling one's father that he really enjoyed the physical part of a relationship was definitely a no-no. "Because he made me."

"That makes sense. But you willingly went along with it."

"Yeah, he's nice, sometimes. I tolerate the carbon monoxide he breathes out."

"Does he treat you well?"

"He makes me happy when he's not being a ass."

"Like best friends?"

"Hmm, maybe a little less than that. He likes his space when I want all his space."

Corazon could see that the teen was holding back. All it took was looking at that face as he spoke about the other man and seeing it all. Then he combined the two together, and felt satisfied because it was obviously a relationship to him.

"Sanji, let's make a deal. I'm going to Florida for a couple of days with Doffy, and I was wondering if you could do me a favor."

"It depends on what it is."

"If I lose a hand to an alligator's teeth, can you please be my hands in my current quest of beating the Lightening Bowl on Superhard as Wario?"

"Uh…sure." Sanji said, looking lost, but Corazon looked delighted as he bit into the last taco.

"Do you like Mario Kart, Sanji?"

"I don't know what that is."

"Don't ever do it. I know you don't like listening to what people say, but Mario Kart can render even the best of people insane with rage. I don't know how many times I've tried killing Doffy in his sleep because he keeps beating me. It's kind of embarrassing. I think he finally stopped bleeding, yesterday."

"Er…"

"He's had the best surgeons around to save his hand. I was wondering if you could make him a cake. Could you do that?"

"Sure! I love baking!"

"Ah, you're the greatest! Anyway, prepare yourself! When we come back, you and I will have a talk. Right now, I'm on a mission. I'll be back. I need to get Law some ice cream sandwiches."

With an amused expression, Sanji asked hopefully, "The one with the sprinkles from the corner market?"

"Yep. Do you know why?"

"Because he's a helpless homo, Cora. He always ate ice cream whenever he was upset, and it always had to be that brand from that store because you can't find it in huge name stores. I'll go talk to him," Sanji said, leaving the chair. He ducked because Shachi threw the broom at him, but he really should've been paying attention to Corazon, because the man fell in the area he'd just mopped.

Sanji strolled through the back door and saw Law restocking the supply closet, the man looking gravely annoyed at that moment. But he wasn't going to let that bother him. He already knew his mood because of the ice cream request. "Hi, asshole! Or am I allowed to even see you in public, now?"

"Shut up. Why are you here?"

"Headed home from the west side."

"Why were you even there?"

"Because we made a new friend. Well, Luffy did. I don't care about that guy, or any guy that wants to be my friend. Listen, I have something to say," Sanji said, standing in the doorway with his hands extended out to the doorframe. "I _hate_ your rules. I don't see you anymore. You don't text. You don't even show up to be with me at night. I miss you all the time, but I guess you're fine with that. I missed your birthday because you felt I shouldn't even give you attention, and it sucks because I wanted to celebrate it with you. I just think that if you truly liked me, you'd make a bigger effort to at least show it. Now I feel that you don't at all."

"Because I told you why," Law said sullenly, looking at his task to avoid showing any sort of expression Sanji's way.

"If that's all you can say about the situation, then, fine, yes, I am clingy. I like to touch, I like being affectionate, I like to give things, and I like to express joy at being able to say I'm with someone. And if I can't please you with action, then maybe I can make you happy elsewhere. If this is what you want from now on, I'm telling you right now that I hate it. What's the point of being with someone if I can't even see them?"

"It's not like it makes a difference, anyway."

Sanji stared at him for a couple of moments, then grabbed a pack of coffee and threw it at his back, his happy mood immediately shifting into that of a violent display of temper. Inwardly, he couldn't wait to stop this crazy mess of shifting emotions, all the time. Why didn't it bother Zoro? They were practically the same age.

"Stop talking to the wall! Turn around and look at me!" he demanded.

"I don't have to. It's a free country. I can do whatever I want. Go talk to your new friend about your shit."

Sanji's lips tightened, but he pulled the door shut and locked it. "You are such an idiot! What does that even mean?"

Then he leaned against it and waited for Law to teleport away from the room. When he didn't, he growled, kicking the door. "I went along with what you demanded, hated it, and I can't do it, anymore. Every day that goes by, and I don't hear from you, or get to see you, makes me feel stupid. If that's how you want things to be from now on, then I can't do it, anymore. It'll be easier for you to just be alone than stringing me along behind you. It's not fair."

Then he paced uneasily, waiting for the other man to show up and look at him so they could communicate. But with every second that passed and Law wasn't there to show Sanji his face, Sanji started to feel rejected.

"I miss you. I wish you'd just let me be the way I want to be towards you, instead of you being so scared about it. It's not like anything bad will happen, you big baby. Why am I always the one to chase after you, all the time? Why can't you just let me catch up to you?"

When all he heard was silence, he leaned against the door, listening for movement. He unlocked and opened it, seeing that Law wasn't even in there. With a growl, he slammed it shut, face filling up with red as he wondered how long he'd been gone. But then he exhaled heavily, and left the shop through the side exit door because he didn't want to see anybody else after that moment, walking home in a dejected manner. When Law walked back into the room with another batch of boxes from the front, he looked around himself with puzzled action, wondering where Sanji went. He was pretty certain he hadn't passed him on the way back in, so he tossed the boxes onto the counter and went out the side exit to check for him.

The teen just disappeared around the corner of the building ahead, and Law went after him with frustration because he hadn't seen him for so long – his own fault – and now Sanji was just leaving without saying goodbye?

"Where the hell are you going, you little shit?" he asked, reaching over and grabbing his arm to stop him. "I didn't say you could leave!"

Sanji reacted with a surprised look up at him, then jerked his arm out of his grasp. "You weren't even there, you ass! I was talking to a fucking door the entire time!"

"That's your own fault. Look, admittedly, it's all because of your childish stubbornness that it has come to this. I hope you realize the consequences of your actions, and I ask that you not do it again."

Sanji gaped at him for a few moments, incredulous for being blamed. "I don't know whether to shove you out into moving traffic, or stab you for even having the thought that you can blame this entire thing on me," Sanji told him flatly. "I'm so stunned, right now."

"Well, you don't have a knife or anything in hand right now, and I welcome your efforts to the former. But it'll definitely be you sitting in front of a moving bus."

"Good! Maybe it'll relieve the headache I feel at your goddamn logic!"

"A moving bus probably won't be enough to knock any sense into you, anyway." Law scanned the streets with his arms crossed tightly over his chest. "Hopefully there's some construction trucks coming our way, soon, to finish up the job."

Sanji tried not to slap him. "You're the one with no fucking sense at all!"

"I'm standing right here in front of you, stop screaming."

"I'm not screaming!" Sanji shouted with frustration, but quite aware that he was talking at loud volume, like he usually did when he grew excited. 'You're such a fucking asshole! Why are you even blaming me for this? You're the one that can't even appreciate anything I give you!"

"I don't want material things! I don't want you thinking that this is something more than what it is!"

"Then what is it, damn you?"

Law frowned at him for a couple of moments, quite aware that some people at the bus stop across the street were watching with interest. Then he realized he could see their breath being exhaled in the cold night air, and, finally, the chill of the weather that made him shiver. He looked at Sanji again, the teen glaring up at him, waiting for his response. Then he licked his thumb and reached over to wipe the crusty red sauce that was clinging to his cheek because it was distracting. Sanji slapped that hand away with a growl, Law retracting that limb with a surprised look.

 _"Ow."_

"You fucking bastard, you're such a goddamn piece of shit, you piss me off!"

"That's it. It's the time out corner for you, kid. I'm tired of you talking back to me," Law said, grabbing him and tossing him over his shoulder, reappearing back into the shop with a flick of his hand, Sanji giving an enraged shout of frustration at the treatment.

"You fucking caveman! Put me down! Don't you dare lock me in there, I will break down everything you love in this fucking place - !"

Bepo rushed in at that moment, looking concerned. Once he saw that Law had locked Sanji in the supply closet with a guilty frown, the polar bear gave an exasperated expression. "Senpai, we don't lock humans away when we feel threatened with losing them. We had a talk about this."

"Stay out of it, Bepo. This is none of your concern."

Bepo used his bulky body to come between Law and the door. With a lecturing paw in the air, he scolded the glaring man. "Senpai, you must stop doing this. Sanji has his own thoughts and feelings about you, too, you can't just expect for him to do everything you say. He is a human, not a toy."

"Let me out!"

"One moment, Sanji," Bepo said, hands on his hips as he looked down at Law sternly. "You need to apologize for your behavior. Just tell him the truth. It'll make you feel better."

"What truth?"

"Senpai, being stubborn helps no one. In the end, you're helping no one being the way you are," Bepo said gently. He then stepped aside and gestured at the door. "Now, let him out. Tell him you're sorry."

"Rot in there, you little shit," Law said, stomping off. Bepo looked after him with outrage, then let the teen out himself.

But Sanji was doubled over, trying not to laugh so hard. Bepo looked at him with confusion, ears flicking. Stumbling out from the closet, Sanji snagged the polar bear's overalls with both hands, laughing loudly.

"Oh, no, did that upset you? I promise he won't do it again," Bepo reassured him, looking down at him worriedly.

"Things are fine, Bepo. He used to do that to me when we were kids, when I had to go home," Sanji said, wiping his eyes. "I have some homework I need to do, so I'll see you guys later, all right? Tell Cora 'bye' for me!"

Extremely confused, Bepo watched him leave, but the teen looked fine, for he was still chuckling to himself as he left. Bepo then walked up to the front, looking around with a confused expression. Penguin looked over at him, burping.

"What's up, bear? You lost? I know the way back to the zoo," he offered, as Shachi assisted with a woman that was trying to see past their coverings to get a glimpse of their faces.

"No assistance is needed in that area." Bepo found Law cleaning some tables with an angry scowl, so he marched in that direction. He frowned down at him until Law straightened up and gave him an exasperated frown. "Senpai…"

"I know, I know. I'm just frustrated with myself."

"You really shouldn't be. There's no need to feel such turmoil. Sanji has already forgiven you, and has gone home to finish work for tomorrow. You're just being an ass, again. Why are we being an ass?"

Law scrunched up his face and muttered childishly, "Because I don't know how to feel a certain way."

"What are we going to do to fix it?"

"Apologize."

"How are we going to apologize?"

"To his face."

"How?"

Heaving an exasperated sigh, Law mumbled, "By saying it nicely, and keeping my hands to myself."

"There we go, senpai, I'm proud of you. We took big steps, today," Bepo said encouragingly, reaching out and hugging him.

Shachi threw his mop at the bear. "It's not fair! Whenever we say shit like that, he takes us apart and leaves us in pieces in the apartment!"

"I demand equality!" Penguin cried from the register.

Law peered around Bepo's arms and stuck his tongue out at them, both of them flying into a rage. The shop filled with the pair's screams as they tried to either climb over Bepo or reach around the bear, Law ducking and maneuvering around to avoid their hands while Bepo tried his best to shield him from harm.

Corazon shook his head as he and two of the Donquixote minions watched from the doorway. He held a plastic bag in both hands, looking at the scene with a disgusted frown. "This is embarrassing. You're all grown men. Bepo, what sort of pet are you to instigate the situation? Law, here's your ice cream, come sit down and eat it, now, okay? Penguin and Shachi, you need to learn to keep your hands to yourself when you are frustrated. Come, now. All of you, stop this nonsense."

Totally oblivious to his bad parenting, Corazon went to separate them from each other, his minions shaking their heads with disgust.

Later that night, Sanji was making a face at his phone, utterly annoyed that Gin had DM'd him through the Instagram. After he finished sending his death threat, he tossed his phone at the foot of the bed and rolled over with a grumble. He could hear Zeff snoring loudly in his room – the man in the process of getting his restaurant put back together after Crocodile's attack, so he'd been pretty busy.

He felt a lot better about tonight's encounter with Law – the man might say and do things that were completely unreasonable, but Sanji could feel that there were underlying actions to his behavior that greatly reminded him of their childhood days. It was both amusing and sad, because it was obvious that when it came to the two of them together, neither one of them were capable of making mature decisions. It was so deceptive how the man could appear so serious and responsible to others, but to those closest to him, they were treated with an intense dosage of unreasonable immaturity. He felt sorry for Penguin and Shachi for living under such duress.

He tried not to shriek out loud when Law forced him to roll over to face him, giving an irritated growl while doing it.

"Goddammit!" he exclaimed. "I didn't even hear you come in!"

"Look, let's clear this up," Law said, speaking very quietly, kicking his boots off, still in his work uniform. "I apologize for being an ass."

Sanji waited for more, but once the seconds stretched on with nothing more coming from the man, he realized that was all he was going to get. "Okay," he said slowly. "That's a start."

"That sums it up."

"And…so…are we still…doing this? Or…"

"I didn't think that far."

"So you just came over here with - !" Sanji growled, dragging frustrated fingers over his own face. "After _all_ this, that's all you have to say?"

"Yah."

"I hate you."

"I'll make up for it," Law said with a shrug, reaching down and pulling up the hem of his shirt, leaning down and kissing his stomach. He felt it tense as Sanji growled again, fingers in his hair to pull him up to face him. "Hey. I apologized."

"You're such a fucking jerk! Why do I even like you?" Sanji complained, pulling him down for a proper kiss, and humming with satisfaction as Law kissed him back. For a few minutes, the two lost themselves in the action, Sanji's fingers loosening in his hair. He reached between them to pull down the zipper of those overalls. When he was able to slip a hand inside, he found the other man's shirt hem, lifting that up so he could touch his warm skin. He released a sound of approval, the feel of the man's solid warmth against his palms causing his own skin to tingle with sensation.

He felt Law's mouth move over his jaw, down to his neck. When he felt teeth scrape against the sensitive spot behind his ear, Sanji hissed, then pressed his nails into his ribs.

"Ow, quit. I'm being nice."

"Take this off, then," Sanji demanded, scratching over his ribs with deliberate action. When Law didn't comply right away, he reached around him and scratched down his back.

Law then sat over his hips, grabbing his hands. Grabbing one index finger with firm fingers of his own, he jammed that fingernail between his teeth and gnawed that nail tip off. Sanji started to scream, but he clapped his hand over his mouth and it turned into laughter as Law bit and spit the tips of his nails off one by one so he couldn't scratch him anymore.

"Stupid! You're so gross!" he exclaimed as quietly as he could, too afraid to pull his hand away, in case those teeth nipped further down.

"You clean your hands all the time. It's fine. But no more scratches."

"You're such a brat! Just go with my demands!"

"I don't negotiate with terrorists."

Sanji laughed quietly, then sputtered when Law kissed him, shifting around on top of him. He pulled his head back quickly as Sanji started spitting once he tasted the remnants of one of his own fingernails being inserted into his mouth.

"ARGH! You're such a jerk!" he exclaimed, spitting it into his hands and wiping it onto his bed. Then he used his tongue to coax out the rest of it, having to swipe his palm over the organ just to do so.

Law laughed as he tossed his shirt to the side, reaching down and removing Sanji's. Once he saw the teen's pale upper chest and stomach revealed to him, he reached down, swiping over his exposed skin with both hands. Sanji quieted down, reaching up and running his hands over his shoulders, down his arms. Then he pulled him down to him, feeling warm and aroused now that they were getting serious.

"But you're my jerk," he murmured happily, running his fingers over the man's warm skin, feeling happy and content at that moment. He looked up at him with a flushed expression and a lazy smile, saying low, "Give me a kiss. Be nice to me. I missed you."

Law really liked the way Sanji looked and spoke to him in that manner. It gave him goosebumps. His usually independent self that refused to listen to anyone else moved in the opposite direction – he followed Sanji's orders, kissing him gently, enjoying the taste of him, the feel of his inquisitive hands on his flesh, the soft noises that came from Sanji when he was satisfied with Law's reaction.

Sanji's hands roamed all over his exposed body, tracing over his collarbone, rounding the edge of his shoulders, moving to the planes of his chest and stomach. He arched up to press his own body against Law's, giving a low sound in the back of his throat. Law licked his lower lip, breathing slowly through his nose, hard and achy as Sanji's hands moved down his sides, fingers holding onto his hips as he lifted his and gently pressed his own hard on against his.

"Can we do it like last time?" Sanji asked on a near whine, rubbing up against him with his face all flushed, eyes droopy with arousal, his lips swollen from kisses. "I promise I won't come too fast."

With that image, Law probably would've done anything he asked – he'd meet all of Sanji's friends one by one, accept all the gifts Sanji thought appropriate, roll up to the aquarium with him hand in hand, buy him a car, anything! But Sanji bit his bottom lip and pushed up against him to get more friction going, so Law couldn't even remember what it was he had planned. He shrugged it off, reaching between them to pull down his overalls, grabbing an ampoule from the front pocket, first. Tossing his clothes aside, he then pulled the teen up from his back, and coaxed him to sit over his lap, to straddle one of his legs.

The teen continued to kiss him, barely removing his mouth from his the entire time. Law adjusted himself to sit against the wall, reaching between them to touch and stroke the teen's fluttering stomach, the ridges of his side, the curve of his ass. He coaxed Sanji in closer to him, so he could touch his tongue to one nipple, to wet the tip and suck the pink circle in before kissing across his chest and repeating the action to the other. Sanji leaned in, an arm around his head to hold him close, fingers running through his hair as he breathed heavily.

When he reached between them to touch the hard-on straining against his jeans, Law let him. Sanji shifted to palm the thick organ, rubbing gently before squeezing carefully with just his fingers. Running his hand over his sweats covered ass, Law pushed the material of the waistband down, exposing Sanji's ass to the darkness. Then he broke the ampoule's tip with his teeth, spitting out the plastic. He let go of the teen to drizzle the liquid onto his palm, then gestured for Sanji to hold his hand out. Reluctantly letting go of him, Sanji held his hand out, leaning in to continue kissing him.

"Stroke yourself. Slowly."

"I want to watch you cum, too," Sanji whined. "Like last time."

"Later. Do it."

Sanji complied, Law watching the movement with fascination, using his thumb to push the lubrication on his own hand over his ring finger. When Sanji spread his knees a little wider to steady himself, his free hand propped on Law's shoulder, Law reached in between them, fingers moving over Sanji's balls for a moment before moving beyond them to the entrance to his body.

Sanji paused in movement, looking at him with uncertainty, but Law coaxed him to continue jerking himself off, reaching in to touch his straining length himself. Sanji's lube slicked hand curled around his, and he tilted his head back with a low sound, enjoying the touch of the man around his dick. Carefully, with that lube slicked finger, Law pressed his fingertip up into his body, watching the way Sanji responded to it.

"It feels weird," he confessed shakily to Law.

"It feels good to me. I'm going to put it all the way in. Lean on me, okay?"

Sanji nodded, tensing up as he followed with Law's instruction, but with Law still jerking him off with one hand and the other pushing steadily up into him, he didn't give the moment any more thought. He breathed heavily, with a short gasp as he felt Law's finger up inside of him. His body was confused, but the very pleasant burn on his dick made his mind think elsewhere, hips moving restlessly as he heard the other man hum. When he felt Law's finger moving slowly outward, he winced, fingers curling on his shoulders with apprehension.

"It feels weird!"

When he felt Law's finger crook slightly, he immediately tensed, sucking in a large breath. Then his finger started leaving him, moving gently to the rim of his hole, circling it before moving back in. Sanji stilled because he wasn't sure how to move at this point, feeling his finger search, crooking towards his stomach and he gave a jerk as something inside of him burned with sensation. The high pitched sound that left him made him embarrassed, the finger leaving that area, shifting to stroke in and out from the second knuckle.

Law guided his hand back down to rub his dick himself. He found the lube, withdrawing his finger from his body, Sanji feeling the loss of it, giving a sound of dismay.

"Did you like that?" Law asked curiously, drizzling more lube onto his fingers, this time including his middle finger.

"It started to feel nice. Stop talking to me. Just do it. Hurry."

Chuckling, Law shifted uncomfortably, watching Sanji's face as he re-inserted his ring finger first. He found the spot that made Sanji gasp, alternating touches and strokes until the teen was cross-eyed putty above him. Once he was sure of the area he was looking for, he traded his ring finger for his middle finger, and lightly rubbed up against it, in time with Sanji's strokes.

"Do you like it like that? Or like this?" Law asked him low, watching his face as he alternated touches to the teen's prostate. All that came from Sanji at that moment was garbled noise, followed by a shaky nod, and his hand was moving faster. With his free hand, he encircled the teen's dick with his fingers, squeezing with just enough force to have him gasping, straining to continue. Since Sanji reacted more to a light caress from the inside, Law continued that motion, then slowly started stroking his dick.

Sanji grabbed his pillow, mashing it against his face as he came, muffling the sound of his cry. Law pulled his finger out of him slowly, circling his entrance with a firm rub as his ejaculate splattered over his chest. Satisfied with the teen's reaction, he shifted, pushing him down onto the bed, turning him onto his stomach while he panted, body trembling. He pulled his jeans and underwear down to his knees. Using some of the lube over his own hard dick, Law then coaxed Sanji's legs together, and used the last of the liquid between his ass cheeks. He straddled the backs of his knees, pushed up against Sanji's backside, and began moving back and forth over his slick skin. Sanji held onto his sheets with a low panting noise, lifting his hips a little so Law could grip more of him as he moved against him. He felt his fingers tightening on him before he released a low, deep groan, his lube-slicked dick caught between Sanji's cheeks, the warm feel of his cum hitting his back.

Sanji was satisfied with hearing and feeling all that, glad he could do something to return the favor. He wished he could see the man, though, his body still tingling over his own orgasm minutes earlier.

For a few moments, Law just sat there, until he finally shifted and grabbed Sanji's shirt nearby. He cleaned the teen's back off, checked his hair, then turned him over as he wiped himself off. Sanji reached up and pulled him down onto him, kissing him deeply, feeling the slight dampness of his sweat.

"That felt so good," he said against his lips, grunting when Law rested his weight over him, exhaling heavily as he kicked his pants and underwear off completely. Sanji ruffled his sweaty head, maneuvering his knees out from underneath the man. "I love how you always take care of me. I want to do it to you, too, okay?"

"Soon."

"I want to do more."

"Not yet."

"I meant, not today! Later. Like that. I can't wait to see you over me, with your dick inside of me."

"Calm down, freak. One step at a time, okay? Don't need to take them all at once."

"You're such a fucking tease," Sanji growled, pulling his head back, and then latching onto his neck. Law yanked away too late once he realized what Sanji was doing, and reacted with a push to his face.

"Damn you!"

"Pay back! Since you're always leaving marks on me!"

"How the fuck am I supposed to fight guys wearing this fucking thing? Now they'll think I'm a pussy."

"Wear a scarf!" Sanji laughed.

Law grunted, but he shifted off him, pulling him tight up against his front. He was still half hard, his dick sticky with lube and he wanted a shower. Sanji's back was sticky against him, and he wiggled with discomfort. "Let's go take a shower."

Once they returned to bed, Law resumed the position and held Sanji close against him. He fell asleep a lot happier than he had been, breathing in the scent of Sanji's hair and feeling the teen relaxing against him, falling asleep almost immediately. In the morning, when Sanji's alarm went off, Law rolled over him to find it on the floor, squishing the teen into the bed. He could hear Zeff up and moving around, so he turned off the alarm on Sanji's phone and set it aside. Then rolled off the younger male, who gasped for air.

"Morning." Law kissed him soundly on the forehead, then poked a finger up against his nostrils when Sanji didn't wake up fast enough.

"STOP."

"What are you doing after school?"

"I don't know."

"Take me to that place you went to yesterday."

Sanji was wide awake. He looked at him, rubbing sleep from his eyes, mouth falling open. "Really?"

"Yeah."

"Okay! I'll meet you at the coffee shop after school!" Sanji said excitedly, then winced. "Ugh. That thing looks like I burned you with a frying pan."

"Goddamn it, you brat!"

"Just kidding! Good morning! I can't wait to see you already!" Sanji said, kissing him and then lunging off the bed to get ready, wincing at morning wood.

At school, Sanji was in pretty high spirits. Nothing bothered him, not even Gin when the kid kept trying to talk to him. The kid was a little taller than him, with black hair, tanned skin and dark eyes, and Sanji wondered why he never paid attention to him, before. Now that he thought of it, the kid had been around since the beginning of the school year.

"When did you transfer in here?" he asked curiously, kicking him from behind at PE, Nami frowning at him for the unexpected act of violence.

Gin turned around to glare at him, then at Nami, then thought of the question. "I've been here since the start. How could you not notice?"

"Because I hate guys, that's why."

"You have?" Nami asked in confusion, looking at Gin. "I don't remember ever seeing you."

"That's because the group of you are all snobs, and don't notice half of us looking at you."

"True," Nami said airily, as Sanji tried to think back and wonder when he'd last interacted with the guy. "But you blend in pretty well. I hear you work at a snack shop."

"Yes, well, my uncle owns the chain. You guys liked it, right?" Gin then asked Sanji eagerly.

"They did, yeah. I didn't care for that slop."

Gin scowled at him. "That's what Pearl said. How can you come into other people's establishments and start fights with them over their hard work?"

"Real easy! I just walk right in and start talking shit and handle any shit that comes up!"

"You're such an angry shit, Blackleg!"

"You're a wannabe cook, ass!"

"Oh my god," Nami said in exasperation. "Sanji. Knock it off. Hey, thanks for what you did. Luffy couldn't stop talking about chili cheese fries, this morning, but Ussop won't walk anywhere near him."

"They're one of our best sellers! They make the beans from scratch!"

"Pluck 'em right off the beanstalk, yah?" Sanji asked him snottily, Gin glaring at him once more.

"Sanji! Go play over there if you can't be nice!" Nami snapped at him impatiently, pointing towards the back corner of the basketball court, where others were shooting basketballs at a hoop without any true aim. When she looked back at Gin to apologize, she did not miss the way the other kid was watching Sanji go with a goofy smile. When he realized she was looking at him, he reddened, turned, and walked off to the other end of the gym.

Nami was frozen. She'd never seen that type of look coming from another male directed towards another, and she was in shock. She looked back at Sanji, seeing him laugh and insult another classmate, then back at Gin, who was obviously very embarrassed at being caught. She decided not to say anything because it wasn't any of her business.

: :

"PLEASE!" Luffy cried, hanging from her backpack after school. "PLEASE! You don't understand! It was so good!"

"Nami, the Loaded Dawgs were really good," Zoro told her. "You like hot dogs, right? You need to try this shit. They got the idea from this place in Tucson."

"Where's Sanji?"

"I don't know. Something about meeting his boyfriend."

Nami walked along, dragging Luffy behind her, Ussop watching his step while he focused on his recovered 3DS. With her face lost in thought, ignoring Luffy's whining, she clutched her backpack tightly.

"I thought he wasn't going to hang out with him all the time," she muttered.

"It's only for one day. He hasn't seen him in awhile. So what?"

"I don't know. I just…it still feels weird to me. he's been so crazy for girls. Like, the first time I met him, he gave me flowers and a candy basket. We were first graders. From then on, he was an idiot around women. Now this guy comes along, and he suddenly just…disappears. It's weird to me!"

"I guess. I don't know. I don't care. He's happy."

"Is he? Have you…have you seen them together?"

"No. it could be weird, though. Like, I see what you're saying, it'd be weird seeing that, but…that's up to him. That's what he wants to do. And he obviously is a lot happier being with someone like that. Unlike you."

"Shut up. Luffy! Get off me!" she then roared impatiently, ripping the kid's fingers from her backpack.

"I'm actually hungry. We'll go pick up a few things, then we'll head to the park to see who wants to fight," Zoro said, looking at the boys. Then he frowned at Nami as Luffy whooped with cheer. "What are you going to do?"

"I'll go with you guys. Whatever. I've nothing else to do."

So when they arrived at the Snack Hut, Luffy jerked at the door, and found it locked. So instead of taking the situation as a normal person would and walking away with plans to return tomorrow, Luffy yanked the door off the hinges and walked in anyway. The first thing they noticed was Shachi, Penguin and Bepo standing near the counter with surprised expressions, holding guns at Gin, who was armed with tonfas in both hands.

The second thing Zoro noticed was that the place was empty – it had been full yesterday. The third thing Nami noticed was the minions lying on the floor in various stages of injury. The fourth thing Ussop noticed was the amount of sand in the restaurant, followed by the sight of Sanji caught up in a fist made of sand, looking very uncomfortable. The fifth thing Luffy noticed was that there were no cooks in the back, ready to serve them. He frowned.

"It is closed?" he asked sadly.

 _"Moron!_ Focus!" Nami yelled at him, slapping his head as Zoro caught of Crocodile standing near the back entrance with an annoyed scowl, Law looking at the group with a puzzled expression, sword out.

"This place is closed," Crocodile told them patiently. "Please see your way out."

"Put down our friend!" Zoro said, withdrawing all swords. "What are you doing?"

"You're his friends? Are you the ones that took out Arlong?" Crocodile asked, squeezing his fingers, Sanji releasing a pained sound as the fist tightened around him.

"Convenient," Law said, hand jerking to the side, and Zoro found himself in Sanji's place, Sanji replaced where he'd been standing, holding his ribs after having hundreds of pounds of pressure crushing him all that time. Crocodile looked at Law with a frown, striking out at him. Teleporting out of the way, Law then lunged with a swing of his sword, Crocodile allowing the connection while he released Zoro, then whipped around, drawing all the sand from the restaurant to start forming a massive blade that he began swinging – as soon as he missed or connected with Law's defensive sword action, there was another one taking its place.

With how small the place was, everyone was in danger. As soon as he had enough space to create a Room, Law formed the amount he needed, then whipped his sword to the side, making minute gestures with his fingers, using the sand Crocodile lost to form and extend dirt spires at the man.

"Idiot!" Crocodile snapped, releasing the spikes into freefloating sand that he then gathered for his own use. Law stepped aside, his crew ducking hastily as another spire formed from the sand nearest them, Gin diving off to the other side – with a gesture, he flung the spire at Crocodile, the man scoffing as he dissipated the attack, Law then slashing outward with his sword, chopping his intended object in half. The full 5 gallon cooler of "free water for the public" from the counter exploded against Crocodile, who was rocked backward with the force. Dissipating the Room, Law then faked a lunge to the side, only to drive the blade through the area where the water hit – through Crocodile's top right arm, cursing as he wasn't close enough to cut down a good portion of the man. He formed another Room as Crocodile jerked back, eyes widening with rage.

"You think cutting me down will help you with anything? You bastard, I'll make you pay for interfering with my business! Then I'll send your head to your father and your uncle!" he snarled, sand shifting around his ankles, building over his form with a roar. The floor underneath began to shake, the windows vibrating nearby, and Law formed another Room.

Instantly, Penguin, Shachi, Bepo and Sanji and the others were outside, blinking in the afternoon sun. Then, before their eyes, the restaurant burst open with force, pulling away from the pavement, moving slowly over itself. As it happened, the water tower atop of the building toppled over, spilling gallons upon water over the area, splattering over the two remaining inside. From there, Law just attacked Crocodile while holding the building aloft, Crocodile fighting back with his hook to avoid being stabbed, again, soaked. Large pieces of the building came down at him, Law trying to crush him with the weight.

"It's a fight!" Luffy roared, arms flexed before he removed his blazer, tossing his backpack at Ussop. "Sanji! Who's the good guy?"

"The one with the sword!" Sanji called after him wearily. He sat down on a nearby bench with the heaviness of an old man. 'I'm bushed. Crocodile can dehydrate a body. I feel gross."

"I'll get you some water, then!" Nami offered, running off, dragging Ussop behind her.

"Hussy, you guys watch out for Krieg," Penguin told him. "We're going after that other kid!"

"It takes three of you over one kid?" Sanji asked curiously.

"Hey, shut up! That kid's pretty strong!" Shachi yelled at him, then gestured at Bepo. "Go that way! We'll go this way!"

"Right!" Bepo confirmed, running off in the direction Shachi pointed, the other two running around back.

"What should we do?" Zoro asked, looking up at the moving pieces of the building with awe. All the pieces collected together, building a short tower that hung over the street until it collapsed over the fighting area. But Crocodile was already making a getaway by escaping over the debris, Luffy punching repeatedly at him with his Gatling Gun, and Law yelling at him to get out of the way.

"We came by because he wanted to see the place," Sanji said, looking disgusted, watching the action with dry eyes. "Suddenly Crocodile came out from the back with some of his guys, so he resumed the battle from last time."

"Who's 'Krieg'?"

"The other syndicate head. Gin works for him," Sanji said sullenly. "I guess. Krieg and Crocodile were talking when we walked in. I mean, he had him on his phone. He was already on his way over. He should be showing up shortly. I don't think Gin knew anything about it, he was pretty surprised when Crocodile attacked. I don't think he's an enemy, but he'll fight if he's in that position."

"So, you guys are talking, now?" Zoro asked, pointing with a sword at the man that switched Luffy out with a trashcan so he could continue battle Crocodile without interruption. Luffy roared with outrage as he ran past them, extending his arms outward to grab onto the building next to them, propelling him upward. The battle was moving away from them, and people were evacuating with alarmed expressions.

"Yeah. I mean, I followed your advice. He apologized," Sanji said, smiling, lips faintly cracked. He licked them, then frowned sullenly, holding his head. "We're good."

"Huh," Zoro said, frowning.

"What?"

"Nothing. Oh, look. Here comes some cars," Zoro then said, looking up as a line of grey Lexuses began filing in. With a heavy sigh, Sanji stood up, wiping off his slacks. Then he removed his tie and blazer. Zoro looked at him with concern. "What."

"Well…it just felt like a date, for a few moments."

"Moron! Is that all you were sighing about?"

"It felt nice being with him in the public eye, hanging out," Sanji said, setting his things down carefully as a tall, broad chested man in a gray suit emerged from one of the middle vehicles, looking at the scene with a curled lip. "But I don't think it's going to be a normal relationship. The first place we go, and we're attacked? Like, are we truly limited to spending time together under the cover of night and bedrooms?"

Zoro made a face as Krieg caught sight of them, holding onto a massive battle axe that was pulled out from the trunk of the first car. "If two people want to make something work, then they'll make it work. Now, shut up about that stuff. Concentrate on this. That guy's eyes look weird."

Sanji studied him for a bit, then smirked, hands sliding into his pockets. "He's using the White Rabbit. Funny how he has to use something before he even jumps into battle."

"If these are big name heads, and we're fighting them now – what does that make us?" Zoro asked as Krieg shoved aside the minions that were standing protectively in front of him as he approached the teens.

"I don't know. I didn't think about that. I don't think it matters, to be honest," Sanji said, making the first move.

Later on, when Krieg was beaten to a pulp and left on the street, Zoro raced away to help Luffy and Law continue fighting Crocodile. Their battle had come to a nearby children's park, and Crocodile was using the dirt around them as his advantage. Sanji took over on fighting with Gin because Gin was doing amazing work with the tonfas against his three opponents.

The three of them traded out, draping themselves with tired effort on a bench, Ussop and Nami passing out Gatoraide and snacks to the fighters that needed it. It was almost a fight party, except Crocodile was really trying to kill them. If he couldn't hit the trio fighting him, he was launching an attack on the other group, and on Gin and Sanji. The man really was capable of fighting any and everybody he wanted, he was so furious.

When he missed, he took his rage out on the park, trees, and parking lot nearby, throwing up unnecessary effort into destruction.

"This isn't fair, Sanji," Gin told him, twirling one of his tonfas with a lazily spin as Sanji looked for an opening. "I don't want to fight you."

"Why? What if I want to fight you?" Sanji asked him, faking a kick low, then aiming high. When Gin made to defend himself, Sanji twisted away, setting onto his hands and then twisting up and away to land several strikes that Gin blocked with his spinning tonfas. Sanji landed the final kick against the teen's crossed weapons, knocking him backward several feet.

He noticed movement from the corner of his eye, and saw that Ussop had passed out notebook paper, so he, Shachi and Penguin were holding up numbers. Shachi had '0', Penguin had a '5', and Ussop had a '3'.

"Fuckers!"

"I didn't know you were caught up in this business!" Gin exclaimed, lowering his arm, ducking when sand came their way. He spun out of the way of Crocodile's grasp, then lunged into a fake kick/attack combo that Sanji had enough time to get away from. "Krieg never tells me much. I mean, I knew you were caught up with that whole Arlong thing, but it never occurred to me that Crocodile had it out for you and your friends! It made sense that they started talking after that thing happened with Zeff."

"You're not finding any sympathy from me about it," Sanji said, attacking again, hands in his pockets as Gin blocked every one of his kicks with his tonfas, whirling and spinning away. It was easy for Sanji to see how this guy could fend off three attackers at once. Every effort he made was easy, fast, and his shots were hard and accurate. He didn't even look winded or tired. "I'm just going to kick your ass for being involved!"

"I can't help it! Krieg took me in! I kept losing my temper and fighting with everyone, that's why they won't allow me back in the western school district! The only reason why they let me transfer here was because there was a large amount of fighters in the area, and they're really lax about it," Gin said, lunging forward with another series of half assed attacks. All Sanji had to do was duck and twirl away, and he landed a foot against the teen's chest, then leapt upward with a knee, catching his chin. When Gin stumbled, Sanji twisted in the air and landed a hard shin to his face, knocking him into the grass.

He turned and looked at the score. Shachi still had a '0', Penguin had a '6', and Ussop had a '5'.

"Why a '0'?" Sanji snapped at Shachi.

"Your form is terrible," the man sniffed.

Nami had to laugh at him, sipping at her soda. "Your attitude is terrible! Maybe you'd see better if you took off those glasses!"

"Shut up, evil girl! You're not holding a number, you're not a judge, so shut up. But give me a Snowball."

"Let me feed it to you," Nami said, unwrapping the treat and venturing towards him with a mean glint to her eye. Shachi marked his paper, and Nami read 'NO' before lunging at him.

"So, did you think we could be friends? Or what?" Sanji then asked Gin, as the other teen rose from the dirt, sputtering out grass. He was starting to look pissed, face drawing in with a pinched expression.

Both of them hastily avoided the sand pit that opened up at their feet, threatening to swallow them all. The group on the bench abandoned their position, Ussop yelping as he almost lost his school bag in the moving sand. When Sanji looked back, Luffy was being punched across the park, and finally Crocodile launched a hit that slammed Law into the parking lot beyond the playground and sent Zoro flying in their direction. To keep him from falling into the pit, Sanji leapt up and kicked Zoro straight down.

"Ass!" he yelled after catching himself from hitting face first. But he was up and running at Crocodile anyway, Luffy joining him moments later. Both of them were traded out for Law and a street sign, their outraged cries echoing out from across the park as they renewed their efforts to get in close.

Sanji looked back at Gin, who nearly connected a tonfa to his head. Sanji had to move quickly to avoid being mowed down, the teen putting more dangerous effort into his swings.

When he finally connected with Sanji, Sanji slammed back first into a Prius, the alarm going off with an annoying screech. Gin followed up with a leap into the air, and Sanji forced himself to roll up and back, narrowly avoiding being crushed by the tonfas. He kicked out as he rolled away, catching the other teen in the chest and face as he made to follow.

Gin caught himself as Sanji resettled in a crouch. "No," he admitted darkly, clearly fighting something inside of himself, because his expression kept twisting into a dark glare. "Admittedly, I thought we could be something else."

"Like what?" Sanji asked, befuddled. "I didn't even know who you were until you started interfering with our private conversations."

"You're so dumb for the girls at the school, it never even occurred to me that you were with a man. But it started to make sense after awhile," Gin said, wiping his nose. "Truth to tell, I have a crush on you."

"What? Why?" Sanji asked, absolutely off guard as he looked at the teen with shock. "Like, all I've been is shitty to you! You like being treated like that?"

"Well, I knew you weren't all that bad! You're nice to your friends!"

"But I hate guys! That aren't my friends," Sanji clarified, attacking once more, cartwheeling and twisting, Gin using more force than necessary to hit those dangerous feet away from him. When Sanji twisted down and spun on his hands, using continuous movement to keep up the momentum, he managed to land a shin against Gin's ankle, sweeping him off his feet. But Gin quickly twisted, slamming his weapons down, flipping, and striking out as Sanji followed up with a flip and another twist. They followed each other for a few moments, trying to land their respective hits until Crocodile popped up between them, slamming sand into both of their faces and sending them a distance apart.

Then he went after the bunch on the bench, Ussop and Nami screaming as they ran in one direction, Shachi, Penguin and Bepo running off in the other. Crocodile then shifted around, and formed blades once more, striking out as Law attacked him from the side, Luffy following moments later, Zoro running up to Sanji with a pant.

"I'm dry," he said. "Got any water?"

"He's tough, huh?" Sanji said with amusement, brushing himself off, spitting out dirt.

"I believe you now, when you said you had to take White Rabbit to beat him. It's taking three of us to just keep him at bay. So, I'm impressed," Zoro said, patting his shoulder. "Now, get me some water."

"Ah, it makes me happy to hear you say that to me!" Sanji exclaimed, hugging him from the side, both of them ducking backwards as Gin reappeared to attack them both. Zoro used his swords to block and attack while Sanji went off in search of Nami's bag, looking for water or Gatoraide. Once he had it, he jogged back and traded Zoro spots, Zoro taking the drink and walking off the lawn as Sanji told Gin, "Anyway, like I said, I hate guys. And first of all, I might be with one, but that was situation is different. We were probably lovers in a previous life – more than likely, he was one of my many wives. That's the only explanation I have for this situation."

"How far fetched is that?" Gin exclaimed, looking pissed. "What a way to reject a guy!"

"Besides, if you tried to make any move on me, you'd get killed," Sanji vowed, narrowing his eyes.

"You'll get killed, now! If that's your answer!"

"That is my answer! I'm not interested in you! I'm taken!"

"But you aren't married, so…"

"Stupid! You have no chance!"

"Just because a guy like that is impossibly attractive and perfect on the outside, doesn't mean he's like that on the inside! I know what it's like to spend hours on our feet working a restaurant floor! I'd rub your feet until you went to sleep! I'd be making you meals for lunch! And if you wanted flowers, I'd make sure they were your favorite kind!"

"Hah! You don't know what I like! I don't need attention from a kid like you!"

"But I'm an adult in so many other ways!"

Zoro just stared after them with one side of his nose lifted, wondering what he'd missed. He finished off his drink, and capped it, looking for a trashcan. Once he sighted it, he glanced around himself, then prepared to make a three pointer from his distance. Once the bottle twirled through the air, Shachi came out from out of nowhere and swatted it away.

"No!"

"YES!"

The fight between Crocodile lasted until the wee hours of the morning. Sanji finally knocked Gin out, stumbling away from the battle with flowers stuffed in his shirt pocket. Sometime while he was punching Sanji around in someone's yard a few blocks away, he'd stuff flowers into Sanji's shirt, much to his protest. Now, he grabbed them and tossed them away. When he walked back to the others, Nami was using Bepo as a pillow, Ussop, Shachi and Penguin were sleeping around the bear, and Zoro was snoring atop of a park table.

Meanwhile, atop of a massive sand dune, Law held Crocodile's intact arm in his, the proud man scowling up at him and Luffy with tight, shallow breaths leaving him.

"Your ally wasn't much of an ally," Law said, holding his arm over his shoulder like he did with his sword. "The other kids made short work of him. You're beaten. Your plan to form an alliance failed. But there is something you're missing from this entire thing – I didn't go after your business. All I did was eliminate your White Rabbit manufacturing labs. I understand Zeff runs a delicate world with all your crooked faces involved, but all I really care about is that."

Crocodile scoffed at him. He could barely hold himself up, exhausted. "That's your fucking mission? Get rid of the White Rabbit?"

"Yes."

"Why? it brings in as much funding as any other product."

"No, it doesn't. And how stupid is it of you heads to use it to recruit talented fighters from the streets? What happened to these guys?" Law asked him, gesturing at Luffy, who looked delighted at the compliment. "There are guys like these ones running around without a need for the drug, and beating all of those that are using it. Clearly, there's no need for White Rabbit, anymore."

Crocodile frowned up at him. "That's it? That's all you're doing. You're just taking down everyone's labs, fuck anything else that we got going on?"

"Yes."

"You're just as dumb as your uncle and your father!" Crocodile snarled, outraged at the simplicity.

"So be it. Learn something from this, old man. How much life do you have in you after all the battles you've fought so far? The next time you start one with me, or my friends, will be the last one, I guarantee you." Law tossed him back his arm.

"Yeah!" Luffy contributed, having no idea what the whole confrontation was about, but chiming in anyway.

Crocodile looked at his arm for a few moments. "Fine. No more White Rabbit. But I still do intend on killing your family, especially that idiot uncle of yours. Tell him to stop sending me Friend Requests and Edible Arrangements."

"I'm sure they can defend themselves just fine."

"Can you put it back on for me? I'm pretty tired."

After Law fulfilled that request, he then turned and walked away, Luffy grinning after him with much approval. He looked back at Crocodile, made the 'okay' sign, and ran after him, the Room around him dissipating. Crocodile flopped onto his back and stared up at the sky wakening up beyond them.

"Dumbass kid," he muttered, spitting out the last of his cigar.

"You are so cool!" Luffy told Law excitedly, holding up a hand for a high five. Law frowned at him. "To handle the situation like that? To make a guy like that agree to you? Without killing him? That's so cool! And that's all you're doing, huh? Getting rid of that stuff? That's so awesome!"

"Please stop screaming at me," Law told him, wincing as Luffy's loud, excited voice rang out over the silence. He headed for the others, feeling exhausted after spending so much time exerting his abilities in order to keep Crocodile contained. Once he saw Sanji moving about though, he brightened and veered in that direction, Luffy following after him.

"Hi," Sanji said to Law. It really shocked him when Law leaned down and kissed him soundly, Luffy's face expressing immense surprise.

"Sanji! Is this your boyfriend?"

Unsure of what to say, Sanji hesitated. Law answered for him. "Yes. Why?"

Sanji looked up at him with utter delight as Luffy made a cheered face. "With you guys around, we'll get into a ton of fights! We haven't had so much action, before! I'm very happy with these developments! Do you have many enemies?"

"A lot."

"Let's form an alliance, then," Luffy suggested, eyes burning with determination. "That way, I get part of the action. Sanji's trouble, but not enough trouble, because he keeps it to himself all the time. But it looks like you're a cool guy who's willing to share!"

"Whatever, kid. I'm exhausted. I'll pretty much agree to anything."

"It's a birthday present for me! Only it's not my birthday! So it's an unbirthday present! Hah ha! Yay!" Luffy said, stumbling away towards the others. He used Ussop as a stool to jump up and collapse atop of Bepo, pushing Nami off, the girl giving a surprised shriek as she fell over the others.

"I'm too tired to say anything in response to that," Law confessed to Sanji. "What'd I agree to?"

"Nothing. Are we done, here?"

"Where's Krieg?"

"Over there," Sanji pointed, Law looking in that direction with interest.

"And his underling?"

"Over there."

"Good. I'll see you later. Tell those guys it's our day off, today. They can sleep in if they want."

"Where are you going?" Sanji asked, grabbing his wrist as he started walking away.

"I've got this hot date with a lab. I'll text you later."

Sanji frowned, but he didn't release his wrist until he tapped his lips with his fingers. Law bent down and kissed him again.

"Thank you," Sanji told him gratefully, cradling his face with both hands, leaving it to mean anything for the moment. "I really appreciate it."

"Only because Bepo told me to be nice to you."

"Jerk. I only tolerate you for your mature mannerisms and free manicures."

"And I do it for your virginity, you hot little freak."

Sanji laughed because he knew in his heart that it wasn't that at all. "Shut up."

Law left him with a slight smile, and Sanji waved him off, then stumbled to the others, collapsing next to Ussop, who curled up against him with his nose jabbing his face.

Since she was awake after Luffy's rude awakening, having watched the exchange between the two, Nami looked at all of them with a frown. She felt weird. Not sad, not depressed, not angry – just weird. She'd just witnessed something incredibly genuine and it made her sad because she knew she'd been a jerk. She would need some time to get used to the fact that Sanji was with a very hot man that clearly adored him.

"So, we're not going home? We just going to dog pile ourselves here in a public park and sleep?" she asked, jabbing at Luffy's foot dangling overhead. "What are we, wolves?"

"Sometimes, in the state of things, it's best to go with what's natural instead of fighting it, all the time," Penguin answered her, snoring. "It's a natural order, instinct to follow a combative way of life, adapting to war like situations in an economy full of turmoil. Smoke 'em if you got 'em."

Nami looked over at him with a puzzled expression until she realized that he was only talking in his sleep. She took advantage of the vulnerability, and reached over delicately, removing his hat. She gasped, clapping her hands over her mouth as she looked over the man's impossibly gorgeous features. Then, she reached over and removed Shachi's glasses and hat, and her surprised shriek woke up everybody.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Beware. Immense fluff and domestic shit in this chapter. I swear they will grow up, soon.**

 **Alasse-m: he certainly is blind!**

 **Guest #1: the characters are definitely in there. I've just introduced a few more – I'm running out of characters, haha**

 **Guest#2: Gin will be even more persistent in the upcoming chapter(s) omg and Law is such a child so when he gets to the age this story ends, hopefully he conducts himself in a more adultish manner :D**

 **Naghi-tan: Welcome back! I made Gin such a savage in one of my other fics that he needed redeeming in ASOL. Then I didn't use him because he needed a break. :D**

 **Chapter Fourteen:**

 **…Get Up And Tell You Where To Go…**

Later that night, Sanji was looking over the new equipment that Zeff had installed for the repairs to his restaurant, the old man frowning down at the completion of the kitchen on his laptop. He kept cursing the wireless mouse and slapping it on the mouse pad, causing Sanji to make fun of him, Zeff snapping right back. Because it was only the pair of them, they were speaking their first language fluidly.

"Piece of shit! Isn't the concept of technology supposed render things easier to use?" Zeff snarled, glaring at the screen. Then he squinted and adjusted his glasses and Sanji had to laugh again.

"You're so fucking old! How are you not dead, yet?"

"Shut up, you little bastard!"

"Look, I'll move the mouse. You can't break this one, this is expensive, and it's from that store you hate that's always crowded," Sanji said, leaning over and adjusting the mouse's movement. When Zeff directed him on where to go, examining the completed pictures with a frown, Sanji rested against the man's shoulder. Zeff glared at the screen, and indicated for another picture. Sanji changed it, then looked at the icons on the side of display. He started laughing again. "Look at this! You didn't even clear out the starter screen! How long have you had this thing? You're so old!"

"Will you lower your goddamn voice? I'm trying to look at this shit."

"How does my voice interfere with your vision?" Sanji exclaimed, laughing again. Zeff pushed him away impatiently, tapping on the screen, so Sanji zoomed in on the area for him to examine. Once the image re-pixelated itself, Zeff shook his head.

"I knew that was the wrong model. Goddamn it. Those fucking bastards. What's the point of having to pay for insurance when these people don't even follow the order?"

"Did you hear what happened to Crocodile?"

"Yes, yes."

"And…?"

"What about it?"

Sanji leaned over him again, smiling expectantly, Zeff wiggling his arm free once more and looking at him. Once he realized what the look was for, he scoffed, removing his glasses. He shook his head tightly.

"I refuse to say anything about it," he muttered. Sanji bit his shoulder and Zeff pushed him away. "Goddamnit, I'll break every one of those teeth if you do that again! Don't you have homework to do? Go stretch. Shit."

"I can't! Not when I have to help you see, you old bastard."

"Switch the picture again." After studying that one, Zeff gave a heavy exhale. He then looked with a start at his sleeve, lifting his arm to brush something Sanji's way. "Shit. Another one."

When a black mass was launched his way, Sanji shrieked and leapt backward, scrambling over the kitchen counter to get away from it. Zeff roared with laughter, picking up the ball of black thread that must have come from his coat sleeve. Embarrassed, Sanji scooted over the counter edge, rounded the corner and shook his chair while Zeff felt satisfied with his sense of revenge.

"You wimpy little shit. Why the hell are you so afraid of something so small?"

"Shitty old bastard, knock it off, stop playing like that."

Chuckling, Zeff flicked the ball of thread to the center of the table, resuming his earlier explanation. "He promised to play nice with the others after seeing that his business will continue. That prickly bastard blamed me for not being clear about that shithead's intentions. What nerve."

"And Arlong?"

"He'll deal with Arlong when the time comes. After that show last night, he'll leave the lot of you alone."

"See? The situation worked out fine…"

"I suppose." Zeff frowned at Sanji after a few moments. "Now that word is spreading over what's happening to the labs, the others have considered taking theirs down voluntarily. Because of your group. Did you know that?"

"No. What are they saying?"

"Your group is the only one taking out big head names without the use of White Rabbit. Finally, after all these years, they're talking eliminating it completely."

"What was the point of it, in the first place?"

"Power. An easy step to power," Zeff murmured. "It grew out of hand and was mismanaged."

"I expected dinner to be ready when I arrived here," Law said, causing both of them to look up with startled expressions as the man dropped his sword in the center of the table. He sat across from Zeff, who purpled with rage and Sanji started to sweat. "I very kindly ask that you not continue this conversation in your language if you're talking about those bastards, Arlong and the other guy, because I might have something to contribute. I also heard you mention the White Rabbit – now, if I had less interference, this would have been finished a long time ago. Each formula I take is giving me clues to its point of origin – even if they all quit making it, I will find its birthplace."

"Use the front door like a normal person," Zeff snapped at him in English, one fist clenched. "I'm aware that you lack manners, but in this household, you will learn to obey them like a fucking gentleman."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Law said with a loud yawn, leaning back in his chair with his arms folded behind his head.

Zeff gave him a dangerous look while Sanji changed the picture on the screen and indicated for Zeff to focus. "You weren't invited, here, by the way," Zeff growled.

"You said out in the open," Law said, unconcerned about his mood. He removed his hat, his hair sticking out in every direction. His hoodie had snow on the shoulders, his scarf knot removed and the ends tucked back under the collar. The cold weather left him flush faced and vibrant, and Sanji took a few moments to stare at him with admiration, wanting to be there on that man's lap – he quickly looked down on the computer and tried very hard to focus because he was not getting a boner right now.

Zeff looked at Law in disgust, but the man said lazily, "I'm here in the open. Usually, I have him cornered on his be– "

"OH MY GOD," Sanji exclaimed loud enough to drown out the last of his comment, Zeff wincing and glaring up at him.

"Could you not shout in my ear, please? And enough out of you. I'm ignoring you."

"That's fine. I'm pretty tired. Take your time, Sanji."

Zeff's face and neck reddened, and Sanji cleared his throat, giving Zeff an embarrassed look. "Krieg is what, to Crocodile?"

Determined to ignore the whelp across from him, Zeff focused on the question. "They're not so much as allies as they are rivals. They might be from the same area, but they're competing for business. Unfortunately, Krieg likes to do things more for himself. For Crocodile to have reached out for him must have been a desperate shot."

"You're welcome," Law said, eyes closed.

Zeff scowled at him, then looked back at Sanji. "Look, as I've said before, just stay out of it. Don't get involved anymore than you have already. Now that none of your friends are associated with the others, there's no need for you to jump in that mess. Tomorrow, I will be attending a meeting with the other heads of the world on their decision to dissolve the practice of the White Rabbit. I'm only informing you of this because it's partly your fault that this happened," Zeff added, looking crossly in the other man's direction.

Law gave him a thumbs up.

"Did you know Krieg's underling goes to school with us?" Sanji asked, switching the picture and the subject because Zeff always had meetings – now that he knew why, it made sense why Zeff always dressed up and left without saying anything.

"Pearl or Gin? Gin, then. He's youngest."

"Yep. I didn't know that until yesterday."

"Be careful with making him angry. There's a reason Krieg took him in."

Sanji scoffed, leaning down and biting him again. Zeff whirled in his chair and kicked him across the dining room floor, Sanji laughing as he slammed into the wall, Law looking over at the unexpected sound. Once he realized Sanji was only playing with the old man, he resumed his position – then switched and leaned over the table instead, using his arms as a pillow.

"Have more confidence in me, you bastard. Obviously, I got this far, right?" Sanji said, strolling back to his position at Zeff's side and setting the mouse back down on the pad.

"I suppose," Zeff muttered. "I'm getting used to it."

"Say it!" Sanji demanded, leaning over his shoulder, hugging his neck. "Say it to me!"

"You earn it, not demand it, brat. And stop hanging on me, goddamn it. Can't you see I'm an old man? I can't play like that, anymore."

Sanji just laughed, reaching over to grab the mouse. _"Now_ you're an old man? Are you done looking at all your kitchen porn?"

"I suppose. It's coming back together nicely, save for that freezer. Goddamn it. Save it where I can access it."

"Look. Watch me carefully. You click on this here, drag it right here, and then write the title to it here. Go ahead. Type in a title."

Zeff frowned at the screen, then grabbed his glasses. With his index fingers, he started typing, but he kept hitting the wrong key, so when he hit 'delete', he ended up hitting the Power button, and he cursed as the screen prompt flashed with warning. Sanji laughed again. "Why are you so _old?_ Here, I'll do it! What do you want to call it?"

"I don't know, goddamn it."

Sanji typed in 'Kitchen Porn', and Zeff cursed, ripping off his glasses. "Sanji! If people see that, they're going to think I'm a fucking pervert. Rewrite that! Don't call it that, you shitty little shitstain. Erase that!"

"Ha! Ha! No one will see it, look, I have it right here, by your Solitaire icon, and this weird starter program."

"Goddamn it, you piss me off. Give me that. I'm going to bed. Hell with you."

Sanji laughed as he closed the laptop, turned off the mouse, and set that and the mousepad atop. Then he passed them to Zeff as he rose from his chair. Zeff looked at Law, who was snoring slightly across from them, then frowned at Sanji.

"Keep it down," he then warned, Sanji blushing. "You're very loud."

"Sorry."

Zeff shook his head wearily, muttering to himself as he checked the locks of the front door, realized it didn't matter, then walked off to bed. Sanji grinned after him, then rounded the table to kiss Law's forehead, brushing his hair back to do so. When he lifted his head and saw that it was only them, he pushed away from the table top.

"Welcome back," Sanji said cheerfully.

For a few moments, Law sat there with a thoughtful expression. Sanji climbed onto his lap like he wanted to do earlier, feeling the man's hands settle on his hips. Then Law said, "Say that again in your language."

Sanji repeated himself, watching as an almost wistful expression flit over the man's face. "What's up?" he asked curiously.

"I'm pretty sure that was the first thing you'd ever said to me," Law said thoughtfully.

"Probably. Zeff always said it to me, even if I left the room for a few minutes. When I was that age, I said it to anybody that looked like they were returning home."

"I had come home from school one day, and there was this annoying little kid in my way. Playing with her Easy Bake oven. Making it completely impossible for me to walk around."

Sanji flushed with embarrassment, reaching up to run a nervous hand through his hair. "C'mon, okay, I am obviously a boy."

"And this brat made me eat the crap that was being made on the stairs. Tasted terrible."

"You were such a jerk, even then."

"It was embarrassing, when I thought back on it, when I expected you to be there to try again and win me over after that. It didn't take that much."

"My charms worked on you, then?" Sanji asked, grinning.

Law's hands shifted from his hips to underneath his shirt hem, to stroke his back and resettle inches past the waistband of his sleep pants. "Admittedly, it was only because you cooked actual food and it wasn't a goddamn Hot Pocket. I will not touch those things today."

"Why are you reminiscing right now?" Sanji asked curiously, playing with the ends of the scarf and then examining the hickie he'd left the other night.

Law shrugged, crossing his arms over his chest. "Cora said a few things that bothered me, and I couldn't help but think about them. It's making me feel restless."

"In a bad way?" Sanji asked worriedly. "You're not thinking about running away again, are you?"

"No," Law answered truthfully. He lowered his arms, hands once more at Sanji's waist. "I'm just…a little confused."

"Why? And don't piss me off."

"Because…it just made me wonder if he were right."

Sanji stared at him, completely lost. "You're making me nervous."

"I had maybe two hours of sleep in the past forty eight hours. I might be a little coffee delirious right now. But, um…those past two weeks of not seeing or talking to you really bothered me. I know it was my fault, I made that decision, I guess I freaked out a little."

"I'm glad it did," Sanji said with relief. "I absolutely missed being with you, but if that's what you wanted, then I couldn't just…not abide to it. I had to try it your way."

"The only fucking time you ever listen to me, and it's for this."

"I was really disappointed that I'd missed your birthday because you wanted to be an ass. Let me make you something, tonight. Just us! I'll make you a cake and - !"

"No. it's passed. I don't make a big deal out of it."

Sanji shrugged, trying not to look disappointed. "Will you be putting more rules on things?"

"I don't know what I want. I thought I did, but that went to hell. But when I told your friend that I – that – I was – am – that word – to you…"

"I will strangle you for real," Sanji threatened, pulling the scarf tight around his neck.

"I just said it because you didn't. So you actually followed another one of my stupid rules, and I realized how dumb it was to demand that you not use a title when this is obviously…well, it's a thing," Law mumbled, looking down for a few moments. "If it stayed only physical, I would've pumped, dumped and left. But I catch myself looking for you when I know you're out of school. Like a lame ass."

"No, that's not lame! That's romantic," Sanji said with a snicker, leaning in to kiss him, feeling happy about that.

"There is a lot of things wrong with this situation. _But,"_ Law interrupted Sanji with a finger in the air, as Sanji gathered air to speak angrily, "I don't want to go through that, again. Notice the difference between 'can't' and 'don't want to'. So, thinking back on the things we did as kids, it was…the both of us just being in each other's company without trying anything at all. And this is what it is. You're doing nothing to go out of your way to impress or smother me, and I'm sure as hell doing nothing to impress you – I don't have to try hard."

"Shut up. You ruin many soft moments with your damn manly bluster."

"I just feel that I can be myself with you, since you already know what I am. I don't have to pretend to be someone else for someone expecting this face to match up with high expectation."

"You never woke up girls with fingers in their noses?" Sanji asked sweetly.

"Never. It's pretty funny when I do it to you, though."

"God, I'm so flattered right now."

"Anyway, this is what's been on my mind. I don't know what to do with it. It's become a huge distraction for me."

"Where did you go? Why did you come back here, anyway?" Sanji asked curiously.

"Med school. That's where I met those two losers. Both of them were in one of my Emergency Medicine classes before they decided to turn to the dark side for sick thrills. Penguin had the brilliant idea to look for fun and adventure before being forced back into completing his internship. Shachi hates his structured life that his parents mapped out for him, and needed a break from it, so he essentially ran away from home. Once they found out what sort of life I came from, they hounded me to come back here. I figured, what's the worse that can happen? They knew about the White Rabbit and was interested in finding its point of origin with me. Then you came shashaying into my life and I lost all common sense."

"I didn't 'shashay!'"

"Fine. You flounced your way back into my life – "

"I didn't 'flounce'!"

"Sassy Sanji says superfluously, Supa! _God,_ you homo…"

 _"You're_ the homo talking homo to another!"

"I never ever planned in my life to ever look at a man the way I look at you, so when Cora started talking shit to me yesterday, it just really made me think," Law confessed, too tired to tease the teen any further. "I mean, no one just turns you gay for them - you have to have a gay switch rooted deep inside of you to want it. So I was just wondering when it truly started, for me. Maybe that's why I used women, looking for the right one to make me want to stay, but none of them worked. I had no interest in staying with any of them. It was a really confusing period for me."

Sanji looked down at the center of his chest and wondered if that was why girls never bothered with him, despite his constant attention. He thought about doing what they requested, being their voluntary play thing, falling for girl after girl and never scoring with any of them until Nami. Did they know he wasn't for them?

Law touched his chin, forced him to look up. 'Is that what happened to you? It was so embarrassing seeing you a couple of years ago, looking all pretty because of them. You were so gay it hurt."

"That's when you felt the twitch in your dick for me?"

"Heh heh, yah."

"Sicko."

"I'm honestly really tired, right now."

"Let's go to bed. You can continue your profound thoughts tomorrow."

"On the couch, though. Because I don't want to wake up with your big yaoi hands on me unexpectedly. Out here, you have to behave."

"What's 'yaoi'? And that's YOU with the grabby hands!" Sanji snarled at him. "Quit saying things like that with such a serious face!"

"One of us has to have a manly face. Since you're of a more girly appearance – _ow."_

"Ah, but we had a wonderful moment there," Sanji said, holding onto his hands to pull him to his feet. "For a split second, we spoke seriously about other matters."

"Yes, it was nice, wasn't it?"

"Keep it up. One day I'll reward you, for it."

"Incentive was never my motive. I do whatever the fuck I want. And I want to lay down on the couch with you. It's Friday, right?"

"Mm hm! That's why I'm up past ten."

Law stopped in mid step, groaning. "Don't say things like that, please. Don't make Doflamingo right."

"Right about what?" Sanji asked curiously, sitting on his knees and removing his boots one by one. Law was so startled at the action that he just stood there, lifting one foot and then the other at the teen's prompt. He reminded him of that time when Sanji served him hot sake.

"Never mind."

"Also," Sanji said, rising quickly to pull his scarf from him, and then help him out of his sweater, Law looking at him with a skeptic frown, sure that he was of his own age to undress himself – not that he was fighting it, in any way. "We can sleep in until ten."

"I'll be gone by six."

"Out in the open, right?" Sanji murmured, almost with satisfaction.

At the thought of irritating the older man, Law shrugged. "Yep. Courtship out in the open."

"Don't think about it too much," Sanji added, waiting for Law to get comfortable on the couch before laying down next to him, squished between the cushions and his bigger body. "Like, I'm sure I didn't think too much of it back then, just like you never, either. Just let it happen. It's been fine, so far."

"Yeah, maybe," Law agreed, reaching around him to grab handfuls of his ass before releasing him. He turned his head to rest his eyes for a few moments, but then a few moments turned to minutes, and suddenly he was asleep before he finished what he was saying. Sanji watched this happen with amusement. He reached around himself to shift the man's hands up from his ass to rest on his back just in case Zeff came in, and prepared himself to go to sleep.

The next morning, Law awoke first. He was disoriented for a few moments, wondering why he was facing an unfamiliar living room set-up, then realized how tense and sore his arms were. He looked down and saw that he had Sanji right up against his chest, the teen sleeping soundly. That warm, fuzzy feeling that made his chest hurt came back. Awkwardly, he tilted his head down to kiss that exposed forehead, and carefully slipped away from him, propping a pillow against the teen's head so it wouldn't drop too suddenly.

He went and showered, made coffee, then went into Sanji's room to retrieve the books the teen had bought him. But as he was picking it up, he saw the smaller one sitting nearby, and he opened it because it wasn't something he could see Sanji reading. The text wasn't something he could understand, flipping through the pages with a frown, until he came to one near the back with what looked to be a recipe of some kind. The numbers combined with temperature settings and numbered instructions looked suspicious, because some of the formulas were familiar. He found his phone and dialed a number – for he never saved his contacts - flipping through the rest of the pages.

"Are you calling in? Because if you are, we quit," Shachi said.

"I'm going to send you this page. Translate it, for me," Law said in response. "And don't go to the coffee shop, today. Zeff is planning on following up on the other syndicates' plans for dissolving their White Rabbit labs, so I'd rather you guys just remain on standby. If they're all going to gather in the same place, then I'd want us to be present, as well. After I finished with Krieg's lab last night, he sent a messenger, but he's yet to catch up to me. So far, nothing's happened here, but I trust that Zeff can handle it once he leaves."

"Aye, aye! What's the original language?"

"French. Might be a southern dialect though, I'm not that certain."

"I know someone. I can get it back to you by later in the day. Oh, and Bepo smelled another one outside the stairway. They're getting closer."

"Pack up everything, mail it to the other address, and then give sixty days' notice. I have the key to a new address."

"We're going to the mall, then. Want anything?"

"No. But keep in mind, Krieg's been playing around with a local group of wannabe hitmen."

"Got it. Send me those photos."

After he hung up he took a few pictures and then sent them to Shachi. After that, he left the room with the book and returned to the couch. He saw that Sanji was drooling over the pillow, and had to smile. He retrieved his cup of coffee, looked at the book once more as he drank it, then made another cup for later.

Sanji woke up to the smell of coffee breath in his face, and he grumbled before turning away. But as he did so, Law only followed him, blowing in his face once more.

"Wake me up nicely, _romantically,_ not like this!" Sanji shouted into the cushions with frustration.

"Oh? You're awake? Good. What's this book you have?" Law asked him, sitting on him as he continued flipping through the novella. Sanji grunted, face purpling with morning rage as he tried to climb out from underneath the man's weight. "Is it erotica?"

"No. It's something Kureha gave me," Sanji muttered, inching out enough to get in air and giving up after that. "She said it was my family history."

"Really. Read some of it, to me."

"Translate it? Ugh. Why so early? I thought you were so tired!"

Law shifted off him to allow Sanji room to sit up, but instead of sitting beside him as he intended, the man maneuvered him over his lap, like a kid. Sanji figured it was close enough to morning affection, yawning and stretching noisily. Law kissed his neck, nuzzling in against his soft skin, smelling him. He reached around him to reach underneath his shirt to play with his nipples, to bite lightly at his ear. He then dropped his hands from his chest to curl his fingers around his awakening dick.

Sanji shivered violently then wiggled in place to discourage him from touching him any further. "You didn't even wake me up nice. You don't get to play with me until then."

"But I didn't get to do this last night," Law complained, stroking him over his clothes, the teen shifting around restlessly as he debated on going with it or saving it for later. He resisted, tilting head to shoulder and using his elbows to push Law's arms back away from him. "Fine. I'll resume the attack after Zeff's gone."

"I'll invite you to try," Sanji chuckled, opening the book and grimacing because it immediately started out with a family tree with faded text, and some of it was written in another language he didn't recognize. He flipped through the pages, frowning, adjusting his boner so it could die away without any other stimulation.

"Vinsmokes. My last name would be Vinsmoke," he said thoughtfully. "Huh. That sounds gay. I like my name, now."

Law peered over his shoulder at the text on the faded pages. "You realize you're an illegal child? You could be deported if you're not on your best behavior with me."

Sanji stared at him, a little bit of fear in those eyes of his. Law laughed because he was only joking.

"You are such a fucking asshole."

"Okay okay, that was a horrible way to make me laugh. I take it back. I won't deport you. Continue."

"Do you really think I could be - ?"

"No, Zeff probably made all the right arrangements smuggling you into the country in his suitcase. More than likely he stole your social security number from a deceased kid your age and used that identity to make you legal. Don't worry, by the time it's found, there's another process you can follow to make yourself a legal resident here in the states, but he'll probably have to go to prison for his actions."

Sanji tossed the book away, and Law defended himself, but both of them ended up wrestling in the living room, crashing into various furniture as Sanji tried to get enough space between them to kick him, cursing at him furiously while Law laughed and did what he could to keep the teen from killing him. Zeff walked in at that moment, frowning at both of them with a severe expression.

"Really? This is the behavior of a man like you?" Zeff asked with much disapproval. "No wonder you chose Sanji as your partner – both of you have similar mindsets."

"Old man! Am I…illegal?" Sanji asked from underneath Law, who started snickering.

Zeff's face turned furious, purpling once more. "Are you telling him this?"

"I was only joking."

"Sanji! I warned you not to take this idiot seriously! Of course you're legal! I have the documents needed to prove you're under my guardianship, and you, asshole, another slip like that and I'll drop you in the fucking harbor! Again!"

"You _fucker,"_ Sanji snapped at Law, who only laughed again as they lifted off the floor.

"I'm going out. I have a meeting." Zeff gave them both a disgusted stare, but mostly at Sanji. "Make better choices, today. For the love of…"

Muttering, he grabbed his jacket and car keys and left the condo, slamming the door shut behind him. Sanji kicked Law hard enough to have him stumbling over one of the chairs nearby.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't think you'd take that seriously. Of course you're legal."

"I can't believe you said that to me," Sanji muttered, frowning. "Of course I'd believe it, considering the history behind it! You're such an ass."

"Sanji, I'm sorry, I won't joke about it, again. I'm sorry I upset you. Don't be mad, you feisty lil Frenchie."

"Don't say that, I'm not a dog."

"You even sound like one. Little mouth breather." To demonstrate, Law made the sound of the animal breathing excitedly.

"Shut up, ass," Sanji laughed, then resumed wearing his mad expression.

"Okay okay, come here, you're making that face again," Law said, reaching over to hug him close, kissing his head. But couldn't resist rubbing the shell of his ears now that he found the image of Sanji as a French Bulldog amusing. "I'm sorry. I apologize. I'm an ass."

"What does that make you, anyway?" Sanji asked curiously. "You're obviously not Cora's."

"I'm illegal as it gets. He picked me up somewhere in Europe while he and Doffy were vacationing out there."

Sanji gaped at him, unsure of whether to believe him or not. "I'm going to ask him."

"Go ahead. Doffy said he'd turned around one day and realized Cora had been carrying a kid for nearly two days."

Sanji stared at him in horror. Law shrugged.

Sanji made breakfast for both of them, then went for his phone. He scanned all the notification bars of all of his friends' texts, including those from his social media. It looked like Luffy had gone off on some adventure and the others were looking for him, but it wasn't that much of an emergency because in the group text, Luffy said he was eating donuts with some friends on the other side of town. As much as Law made him angry and uncertain over his careless comments about his legality, Sanji didn't feel like interacting with anybody else, today.

The man pulled him in and kissed him, murmuring apologies to him while Sanji grumbled and tried not to give in too easy because he needed to see the documentation now to be satisfied. So he texted Zeff while they were eating, and the man haggled with him at first to break up with the lout, but finally gave him directions as to where to find the paperwork. When Sanji found it in his room, he brought it back to the table so they could look it over. Satisfied after that, Sanji was in a better mood.

"Legal. You're the one that should be concerned," he said, stuffing cold eggs into his mouth.

"Eh. I'll find my way back in. I always do."

"How old were you?"

"Nine."

Sanji choked and sputtered over his eggs. "What the fuck?"

"I was on my own for awhile. I'm pretty sure I was digging in a trashcan for food when Cora found me. He and his brother had a similar upbringing, so that's probably why he grabbed me. I was still getting used to them when I ran into you."

"You say it all so casually, like it wasn't even a big deal!" Sanji exclaimed incredulously. Then he looked at him with a suspicious frown. "Are you lying to me?"

"No."

"I'm going to ask Cora."

"Go ahead."

Sanji stared at him for several moments, trying to accept the story. Law finished his breakfast with a happy hum, then looked at his plate. Sanji pushed it his way. "Call him."

"They're in Florida, remember?"

 _"Call him."_

With a growl of impatience, Law did as he asked, Facetiming the other man and setting the phone between them. Sanji left his chair and sat closer to him as Corazon answered cheerfully, revealing them to be on a golf course on a sunny, beautiful day. Both of them were wearing horrible golfing outfits, with Doffy in the background wearing a hat with a brilliant pink pom-pom on top, their minions looking bored with golf clubs and black suits.

"Cora. Tell Sanji how we met," Law said with a mouthful of eggs.

"Ugh, why now?" Corazon asked, almost on a whine, sunglasses reflecting a massive sand pit. "I'm on the seventh hole right now. I'm winning."

"He's lying!" they heard Doffy yell in the background. He had a piece of pizza in one hand, the other holding his club and phone. "He's been stuck in the sandhole for over two fucking hours! There are no gators, here!"

"Shut up! I'll stab you again! What'd he tell you, Sanji?" Corazon said with a heavy sigh.

"That you found him over in Europe, digging in a trash can."

"I _literally_ plucked him out from a dumpster behind a restaurant we were eating at when I got lost leaving the restroom," Corazon said cheerfully, miming the action with one hand. With a wistful expression, he continued on with, "He was really sick and malnourished and obviously not being cared for, so I cleaned him up, gave him all his shots, paid for paperwork, and that was it."

"Like a stray animal?" Sanji asked, horrified, staring at Law with eyes that started to grow suspiciously large. Law stopped chewing to give him a suspicious look.

"Finders keepers! Of course, Doffy didn't realize what I did until we were clear over in Milan, and at that point I couldn't remember where in Florence I found him so he let me keep him," Corazon said happily, practically sparkling with joy at the memory.

"I _literally_ pay no attention to anything you do unless it's holding me up," Doffy said with annoyance. 'Like right now! We should be swimming in gators, but instead, we're swimming in a damn sand hole!"

"If you wanted to see alligators so hard, you would've taken us to Louisiana instead! You can wrestle them down there!"

"For reals? Get us tickets. Stat," Doflamingo then said to a minion, who hastily made a phone call. "You avoided death today, brother."

"Oh _goody_ yay," Corazon said flatly, not at all impressed.

"Told you," Law said.

Sanji continued staring at him, then his lower lip trembled.

Corazon looked at his phone closely. "What are you doing? If I know you're crying, I'm going to cry! Why is that a sad story? That's not a sad story, it's a good one! I saved his life!"

"You guys are lying to me!" Sanji protested, eyes growing red and wet.

"It's true!" Corazon exclaimed, his lips turning into an upset frown as Doflamingo approached, peering at his brother suspiciously before looking at the phone. "Doffy. Tell him how we found Law."

"Corazon's a twisted sonofabitch, that's why he's not allowed near animal shelters or orphanages. One brat was enough, and look how he turned out to be!" Doflamingo snapped. "I didn't sign up to be a parent!"

"You never were!" Law snapped back.

Sanji covered his face with both hands, embarrassed by his emotion.

"Why are you crying?" Doflamingo demanded, taking the phone away from Corazon. "Goddamn, why am I surrounded by criers? There's more important things in this world to cry about! Like the Zika virus! I could be dying from it as we speak!"

"I'm not crying! And the virus affects pregnant women, not grown monsters!" Corazon protested as he took his phone back, sniffling as he walked away. In the background, Doflamingo grabbed his club, swung and hit the ball out of the sandhole, much to their minions' relief.

"How do you know I'm not pregnant?" he then yelled after Corazon. "I could be! I've been feeling tender in my ankles since yesterday!"

"SHUT UP!"

Sanji's tears dried right away because just listening to the brothers' exchange horrible misinformation between each other was just embarrassing. No wonder Law refused to be around them. He tried not to laugh as Doflamingo took his pregnancy seriously and Corazon just looked at his brother as if he'd grown two heads. One of their minions took something from a white bottle and swallowed it whole.

"Anyway, so we're talking about where we came from," Law told Corazon. "He didn't believe me. We're going through his history right now, so, that was the reason behind this topic."

"Oh. So…so you two made up?" Corazon asked cautiously.

"Obviously."

"Well, that's nice! So you're bonding over background stories?"

"Sort of. Kureha gave him a book about his past, I was asking him about it, and I told him mine."

"Ugh. That woman is scary. Well, don't worry about it, Sanji. Thanks to our connections, Law will be legal for a very long time in this country. Though, I wouldn't trust him to travel to Europe anytime, soon. I think he might be wanted in – "

Law hung up quickly, setting the phone aside. Sanji wiped his eyes, Law looking at him in consternation. "I hope you don't do this when animal shelter commercials come on, like Cora does."

"Because - ! How can you be so casual about it? Where was your real family?"

"Dead. They were killed maybe a year before that because of a home invasion. My parents were doctors, my sister was dying of cancer. Some thugs thought that we were loaded because of my parents' professions and raided the house. I pretended I was dead so they took everything of value and left. After that, I was on the streets with a group of other kids when Cora came along. It's not a big deal."

"It is a big deal!" Sanji cried, sniffling as he wiped his eyes with his napkin. "That explains many things about you! Now I feel bad for calling you names and - !"

"Oh, quit. I'm here getting an education, doing super cool things with other dudes in the name of adventure and freedom, and getting mad money for it."

 _"You're_ the one that's illegal!"

"Yep. In so many ways…"

Sanji stopped sniffling and then frowned at him. "Stop. Are you sad about losing your family?"

"I remember wanting to be like my parents, and my sister being happy, loud and carefree. It was a good life, then. Yes, the tragedy was fucked up, but things could've been worse. Now it's a different sort of good life after Cora took me in. I can't say that I wasn't wanting for nothing. Look how he treats me, today. I have no complaints or regrets, except for not having a better attitude about things and people."

"I guess. But you treat Cora like shit. I wish you would let up on him. He clearly adores you," Sanji muttered.

"I know, but sometimes he gets overwhelming with his affection. It's overkill, and after all these years, I still can't handle it," Law said with a guilty expression. "Anyway, don't be sad about it. I'm not carrying around the weight of my past, right now. Maybe the weight of all my bad decisions, but that's about it."

"I suppose," Sanji muttered, blowing his nose. He picked up their plates and went to the kitchen to load the dishwasher, to clean up. Law just looked after him with a frown, unable to get why the kid cared. It might not be an ordinary backstory, but he didn't care too much about it. What he cared about now was today.

"You don't pity me or anything, do you? Because I'll slap you again," he warned.

"No. I just feel sad for you and your family."

"That's the same thing."

"No, it's not."

"Translate your family history for me. Let's learn about you."

"No. It doesn't matter to me. Like you said, I'm not carrying the weight of that tragedy if I can't remember much of that life. Looking at that book isn't of any interest to me, right now."

"Then let me have it. I'm interested."

"Go ahead," Sanji said, returning to him. Law pulled him over to sit on his lap, and he pulled his head down to kiss him.

"You're so cute, you know that?"

"That's so gay, don't call another guy 'cute'," Sanji complained, pulling his head back. Law grabbed his chin and redirected his face back to his, kissing him gently, but Sanji held his tights tight.

 _"Kiss me back."_

"No. I'm sad. And I haven't had a chance to brush my teeth, yet."

"I've had my finger up your asshole, your fingernails in my mouth. I don't care about your breath. I'll find a way to make you kiss me back."

"I guess that's true. But what are you going to do if I don't comply?" Sanji asked, interested once he saw the game. He jerked his head away once Law leaned in to him, and sucked his lips between his teeth.

"Is this a challenge?"

"Try to make me kiss you back," Sanji said with a grin.

"Let's go, then. At the end of it, you'll be kissing me back like you usually do."

"I'm not that easy!" Sanji protested as the man stood and swung him over his shoulder, making their way to the bedroom.

"Sanji, you've been a hormonal putty of hard cock since I started molesting you."

"That's an oxymoron, dumbass! And don't make it sound like that, that's not hot at all!"

: :

In the end, Sanji was sitting on his lap, using two lube slicked hands to jerk him off, and Law was watching his face for clues as he rimmed the entrance to his body with one lube slicked finger. He poked his fingertip in a couple of times, then steadily pushed his middle finger in, Sanji pausing in mid-motion to tighten around him, panting. When Law slowly withdrew that finger, Sanji released one of his hands, reaching around him to hold onto his wrist. Sanji arched his back, faltering in his movement, then felt Law's finger enter him again, crooking slightly. It brushed against his prostate, and he shifted his hips, trying to get more of that feeling.

He resumed pumping on Law's dick, Law wincing at the amount of force in that hand, withdrawing his finger. Sanji's hand on his stopped him from going anywhere, whining slightly as the lost of stimulation slowed down his pace.

"You want my finger in there?" Law asked him curiously, reaching up to Sanji's mouth with his free hand. Sanji took his middle and index finger into his mouth, sucking on them carefully, then with some fervent action as he watched. Reaching around him again, Law pushed his finger up back into him as Sanji sucked on his other fingers. The teen's hips began to move restlessly, shifting up and down on his hand, his hand tightening on Law's dick. He removed his fingers from Sanji's mouth and pried his fingers off of him to prevent any accidental damage as Sanji moved against him for more stimulation.

He leaned up from the bed cushions to pull Sanji's head down to his, but Sanji pulled his head back, making Law smile with amusement. He pumped that finger up and down, then carefully started to add another. The stretch made Sanji pause in mid-motion, looking at him, his breath leaving him in tight pants.

"You okay?"

"Everything hurts," Sanji said tightly, Law pulling out of him slowly. Sanji shook his head, "No, no not like that. I need more. I need something. I feel like I'm almost there, damn it."

"Then you want this? Finger fuck you until you come?"

 _"Yes!"_

"Then you have to kiss me."

 _"No_ \- !"

Law rimmed his hole with his fingers, just barely pressing in, watching Sanji squirm atop of him. He gave no other stimulation other than that, just watching the other male grow antsy, his face, neck and chest flush with color. When he pushed a fingertip in, Sanji tried to sit back on it, but groaned as Law withdrew, pulling his hand from his ass to clutch one thigh, his other hands moving to curl over his hip, thumb massaging the muscle there.

Sanji reached down to himself, pumping his own dick with one hand and leaning over Law with the other. "Goddamn it!" he cursed, voice cracking slightly.

"Kiss me."

 _"NO."_

Reaching around to spread his ass cheeks apart, Law teased his entrance with his fingertips, just barely touching it. He leaned up to the teen's face, watching his frustration play over his face. He worked his own thighs apart, helping Sanji spread his knees even further, so that their dicks nearly touched. Sanji leaned over him with both hands, breathing tightly, growing more and more frustrated. Law coaxed him up further over his hips, Sanji moving over him. Law then kissed his chest, biting gently, fingertips once more moving in against Sanji's hole. He pushed his middle finger tip in, then teased the muscle there by pulling back and forth before withdrawing completely.

"Fuck, just push it in!"

"Hungry for it? Kiss me. that's all you have to do, baby," Law coaxed him, enjoying the frustration that made Sanji so flustered.

With a growl, Sanji finally kissed him, so Law pushed his finger in, crooking towards the area Sanji had been wanting, caressing it with short strokes. He started inching in his index finger, stretching the muscle carefully. But Sanji pushed back on both, straightening upward with his hands stroking himself frantically. When he came, his load splattered over Law's abdomen, and his body tightened around his fingers so hard that Law had a hard time pulling them free. Sanji gave a loud cry, head tossed back as he settled over his thighs. Satisfied, Law twisted him onto his back, grabbing the last of the lube. He slathered it over the teen's lower belly, then positioned himself over him, guiding his dick to stroke through the material. Sanji caught his breath, looking up at his face as he pulled his hands in and added some pressure atop of Law's dick to provide more simulation. He drove over Sanji until he found his satisfaction, uttering a low sound of relief as he dragged his dick over Sanji's stomach, Sanji's fingers tightening just briefly over his twitching organ until releasing at just the right moment.

Law leaned in and captured Sanji's mouth with his, drawing his tongue out to suck on it, before carefully laying onto his side. Sanji returned the action, hooking his hips in close to his, releasing his tongue to kiss him over and over, overloaded with sensation. He had to pull his head back, sucking in a long breath as Law touched him, running his hands over his body and ending just behind his balls, stroking the soft spot there.

 _"Stop!"_ Sanji cried, jerking upward, then giggling at the sound of his own voice cracking. "Stop, you bastard, that's enough!"

"Sanji, seriously, I can't wait to put my dick in there," Law told him, biting his collarbone, then moving up to his jaw, kissing along that line with renewed intention. "You're so fucking hot."

"I told you it was fine! What are you waiting for?"

"I just feel that the only thing holding me back is a proper courting period."

"You're not doing a good job at it."

Law shifted in between his legs, watching his own half hard cock drag over Sanji's. he pushed one of Sanji's thighs up, reaching between them, pushing in a finger. Sanji gave a low moan, bringing up his other foot to settle against his hip. With a reluctant groan, Law pushed aside his legs and dropped down behind him, feeling spent.

"Next time."

"Give me at least twenty minutes," Sanji said, closing his eyes with immense satisfaction.

"Not today."

"You can only come once a day?"

"Ha ha, no. It's just something you shouldn't rush. But at this point, I'm just going to be like, _BAM!_ I'm in there, so I need to think about it, first."

"You're so fucking thoughtful."

"I'm just surprised you let me do it in the first place."

"I'm trusting you to know what you're doing. I'm the innocent victim, here."

"'Innocent'," Law scoffed, pushing him onto his side and slapping one cheek. "The way you jump on my finger makes me wonder."

"Naturally gifted," Sanji said with a chuckle, propping his head atop of his hands. He felt Law's mouth on his ass, then the pinch of his teeth as he gave him a hickie there. "How would you do it? Like, from start to finish?"

"I would just have to show you."

"Show me when your dick is hard, then," Sanji murmured. "The old man is usually gone all day – "

"SHIT!" Law exclaimed, rolling away and grabbing at his clothes with hasty action. "Sanji, go take a shower, hurry up! We've got negative _five_ minutes before we have to leave here!"

"You can't make time _negative!"_ Sanji shouted back with a bewildered expression, then looked up at the ceiling, sure that he'd heard this very same exchange somewhere. But he followed the other man out the bedroom door as he went to clean off their activities.

Nearly twelve minutes later, Sanji was looking at a very confused Mihawk and Zoro sitting at their dining room table, Zoro choking on his ramen. Law then kissed Sanji with a "I'll see you back at the apartment!", and was gone in a flash. Mihawk raised an eyebrow while Sanij's face reddened with considerable embarrassment.

"Well, good afternoon," Mihawk said, lowering his newspaper while Zoro tried to save himself. "Sanji. This is unexpected."

"I – I – I –I- !"

"I didn't know you were into men, Sanji. When did this happen? Zoro never tells me anything regarding his little friends," Mihawk said, looking at Zoro with a very slight frown.

"What the hell?" Zoro exclaimed, coughing as he gestured at Sanji. "What the hell was that? What the hell are you doing?"

"I'll say, you get around a lot faster like that," Mihawk agreed, reaching for his tea. "Well, you're here, so you might as well as sit down and visit. We were just going to go for a walk downtown, to look at the turning of colors in the trees. Autumn finally hit despite all the snow we've been getting, lately. You are very welcome to join us."

Because he was pretty sure his thought process had shorted out, Sanji walked up to the dining room table and sat down slowly, phone out. Zoro cleared his throat, glancing at the phone then at him, reminding him that Mihawk didn't appreciate the devices at the table. Sanji tucked it into his jacket pocket, but he couldn't wait to get the chance to text the man that dropped him off like this.

"Where's Zeff today, Sanji?" Mihawk asked him, sipping at his tea.

"Meeting. And, uh, he's still putting the place back together."

"And your companion? Where was he off to in such a hurry?"

"I…don't really know. I thought we were going somewhere," Sanji mumbled with an embarrassed flush. "I wasn't expecting to get dropped off here."

"Mmm, indeed. Well, I'm going to go get my things, and we shall be off. It's fine if you are…hanging…with us today," Mihawk said, pushing back in his chair and rising from it. He grabbed his dishes and went to load the dishwasher. Sanji waited for him to be out of sight, then snagged his cellphone and rapidly texted Law. Once he sent it, he realized his rage hadn't allowed him to express any clear word – it was mostly raging emoticons and curses and autocorrected gibberish that didn't make sense.

 _"What the hell?"_ Zoro asked.

'I don't know! I thought - ! Zeff's having a huge meeting with the other syndicate heads, today, something about dissolving the White Rabbit entirely, and - ! I'm assuming that's where he's going! Why he had to do this - ? WHY?" Sanji sputtered, gesturing at himself and the table repeatedly.

"Oh well. Guess you'll find out later. Calm down. Looking at trees is relaxing."

Sanji stared at him, wondering how that could be so. But he didn't want to turn down Mihawk's invitation because he didn't want to be rude. But he was angry that Law did this to him.

Meanwhile, Penguin and Shachi looked at Law suspiciously, as he struggled to zip up his long jacket. All of them were dressed for the cold weather in their black overalls and black winter balaclavas that were pushed up in beanie form, but the oldest was wearing his long jacket to cover up the sleep clothes he'd left in last night. A hoodie, scarf and jogging pants that were in fashion with all the males nowadays. He was even in his house slippers, bare calves exposed to the cold. Penguin shook his head with disappointment, adjusting his hat while Shachi made a face, polarized lenses flashing at the right angle with the sun that barely peeked out from behind some snowstorm clouds.

"You are a _mess,"_ Penguin said sadly, unable to look away from his slippers. "Straight up. What happened to you?"

"I had to drop the kid off at a babysitter's, and I lost track of time," Law said with a heavy sigh, giving up on the zipper. Bepo helped him, adjusting the material and then re-zipping his jacket up. Law noticed he was wearing a backpack, and didn't think anything of it. "I didn't even have time to think about this. I don't have a plan. We'll just have to wing it."

"And he admits his perversion so casually," Shachi muttered, scratching his cheek.

"It's hard to think when you've got ass – "

"STOP!" Shachi cried, covering Law's face with both of his gloved hands, Penguin looking away with a shake of his head.

"I _said,_ it's hard to think when you've got assassins waiting for you to make the wrong decision while you're getting young ass - "

"OH MY GOD."

"Shachi, _please_ let me finish. I said, it's hard to think when you've got assassins waiting for you to make the wrong decision while you're getting young associates to cooperate with giving their ass –"

"Just say it! Quit making it sound perverted!"

"Fine. I'm late because I got fools waiting to roll up while my guard's down as my homies made those tiddy's bounce up in the pole club with their hunnerds while a shawty was grounding and pounding on my lap, saying Hey Daddy, hey daddy _hey_ –!"

Penguin heaved a tired sigh as both of them went down onto the pavement, rolling around as Bepo looked on consternation. "This is so embarrassing. Shachi. You're so retarded. You make him even worse. I'm the only one in this group with a maturity streak higher than both of you combined."

"I don't have a plan because of who I am as a person," Law said, pushing Shachi away from him so he could climb back to his feet. "Admittedly, I lost track of time after I found this."

He showed them the novella of Sanji's family history, including the page that he'd sent Shachi over text. Penguin looked at it closely. "That looks like a formula."

"That's what I thought. These guys were professional assassins, hired out by other syndicates throughout the world to take care of small problems. They date back all the way to the 1700's – "

"That's a lot of incest."

"Don't be rude. Sanji is the very last of this particular family after they were eradicated by another group that Zeff himself took out once he was settled in the States."

"Genetically gifted, then."

"It took three of us men to pin down Crocodile," Law told Penguin. "It only took one helping of White Rabbit for Sanji to force their confrontation into a draw."

"Ooh," Penguin and Shachi said together, not impressed.

"But I want this translated. I have a feeling it's going to be something I've been looking for."

"What if it was what you're looking for?" Penguin asked curiously.

"Then I talk to the person that was responsible for making it. And end it."

"Savage…"

"Then what are we going to do here?" Shachi asked, looking over at the building across from them. They were standing in a pay by the hour parking area, the buildings around them catering to those in the upper class.

"We're going to make our way in. Take information whenever you see fit. We'll meet back here after it's over. Phones on silent?" he then asked, all of them withdrawing their cellphones and turning the option on. "Don't engage, just run away. There's no need to fight when they're all together, like this."

"Oh, uh…apparently you made some sort of a deal with Luffy?" Shachi then asked him uncomfortably.

Law looked at him, giving a confused blink. "Not that I'm aware of."

"He said something about us having an alliance with him. He wants your phone number."

"No. Double exclamation point. Hashtag NO."

"Well, uh…" Shachi cleared his throat. "Just do something about it, okay?"

"Fine." Law made to start walking when he realized there was an exchange of expression between the two men. "What's wrong?"

"Tell him now," Penguin warned Shachi.

"Tell me what?"

"BEPO."

The bear looked guilty, head hanging as he said, "I'm sorry."

"Tell me _what?"_ Law asked impatiently.

Then he realized Bepo wasn't wearing a backpack at all. Luffy was grinning at him brilliantly, his limbs wrapped so tightly around the bear that Law wasn't sure where one limb ended and the other began. He drew back with a disgusted expression.

"Did anyone use fire to get it off him?"

"I can be very _very_ quiet," Luffy assured him. "It sounds like you're going to do something terribly exciting, and I'd like to help!"

Law frowned at him, then looked at the others. "Did any of you tell or show him where we're going?"

"No. I'm not even sure where we're going," Shachi confessed.

Law formed a Room with heavy impatience, then grabbed hold of Luffy. Nearly a full minute later he returned alone, wearing crumbs and sprinkles and what looked like donut hanging from his sword. His jacket was missing. He shook the breakfast treat off with a flustered expression.

"Goddamn kids," he muttered, brushing himself off. "Let's go."

"You sure you want to do this?" Penguin asked skeptically. "I've never seen you so discombobulated before."

"Yes, yes. I apologize for being such a hot mess."

"'Hot' isn't the word I'm using here, stop flattering yourself," Penguin snapped at him as they started walking.

Meanwhile, back at Sanji's place, Gin looked around with a frown as Pearl went looking through the rooms. It was obviously empty, and he felt guilty for intruding, but Krieg had been adamant that they bring back either the teen or his companion. Knowing that the pair were a couple was more than enough to fry his nerves, but knowing that Zeff allowed his charge to let a man like Law into Sanji's life was just…well, it wasn't right. He was certain there were laws against that sort of thing.

He looked around wistfully, wishing it were a completely different reason for him being here. It was so clean and nice. When he found Sanji's room, it was practically immaculate. Save for the shirt on the floor, which was crinkled and tossed so carelessly against the floor that Gin had no doubt why it was in the state it was. He stared at it, wondering if Sanji had been alone or if that guy had been with him. The bed was still rumpled, and the duvet definitely needed cleaning.

"Not here," Pearl said from the doorway, grumbling. "Where else could he be? He didn't use a key because it's still in the hall. They had to have teleported out."

"Guess we find where his friends live, then," Gin said with a sigh.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Sorry I haven't been updating! Serious 12 hour days, draining my life force. There's a guy at work that reminds me of an adult Sanji – shape and size and everything! Is it wrong that I secretly stalk him? :D**

 **Thanks for your reviews!**

 **Guest: Glad you enjoyed it!**

 **Chapter Fifteen:**

 **…And You've Just Had Some Kind Of Mushroom…**

Viewing the changing of colors in the trees weren't that bad – Sanji was just an impatient person. He followed after Mihawk and Zoro as they strolled leisurely through the downtown park, barely talking and occasionally staring off in silence at a particular scene as they came upon it. The park with its smattering of various trees and their changing colors was a pretty scenic sight, and they weren't the only ones with the idea to walk about admiring it. But Sanji was practically asleep on his feet as Mihawk pointed out a squirrel gathering nuts and hoarding them in a nearby hole, to which Zoro replied, 'Ah,', and both of them just stared until Sanji wanted to scratch his eyes out. But he knew better than to act his usual way with Mihawk around – the man just did not tolerate 'shenanigans' the way Zeff would. So he took pics of the sights around them, along with himself posing behind the pair's backs, and uploaded to Instagram with some pretty Fall borders.

The pair was so quiet and calm compared to him and Zeff – a lot of cursing and physical interaction and impatience with each other – and Luffy's family – the very definition of rowdiness. So when Mihawk suggested that the pair sit and meditate, Sanji was sleepy enough to just sit down with them. Zoro had been carrying a blanket for such an occasion, so as soon as he set it out, both of them sitting opposite each other, Sanji sprawled out on the blanket and rolled up next to Zoro, laying his head atop one thigh. He was napping in moments before they even started their deep breathing exercises.

When his phone rang sometime later, Sanji discovered that it was only him and Zoro sitting there, and Zoro was playing on his phone, letting him sleep, and the skies were covered with incoming clouds. Sanji was covered in some falling leaves, Zoro placing them there earlier, so he flailed about, hoping there weren't any spiders in the mess.

"Mihawk went home?" Sanji asked in surprise, digging into his inside jacket pocket for his phone and cigarettes as he rolled away from the other teen. He saw that it was Nami calling while Zoro nodded. "Hi, gorgeous! What's up?"

"Now your phone works?" she growled. "Where are you and Zoro?"

"At the park," Sanji answered, rolling away from Zoro so he could light up a cigarette. "Why?"

"Ussop just called me. he said that guy is looking for you. And he was just here, too."

"Which one?"

"Gin."

"What? That weirdo! What the hell is he doing bothering you?"

"LOOKING FOR YOU! He's with some other guy, and they'll probably hit Zoro's house next, so are you guys there?"

"No, we'll go intercept," Sanji said, rising from the blanket. "Sorry for bothering you."

"Answer your phone, next time! Did you hear from Luffy, yet?"

"No."

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" she finally shouted at him with impatience.

"Sheesh," Zoro muttered, hearing her voice from where he was seated. "Hang up."

"I'm sorry, Nami! I've just been…a little occupied this morning! We'll go look for him, too," Sanji assured her, lighting up a cigarette, relieved at finally being able to do so.

"Oh…were you…with your…boyfriend?" she said slowly, the word weird on her tongue.

"Yeah," he answered, slightly embarrassed at how happy that word made him feel.

"Oh. Okay. Well, that explains it. Sorry for bothering you, then," she apologized, her tone considerably lighter and more forgiving. "You'll have to give me details later, okay? Anyway, let me know how it works out, you know, with this guy. He didn't look very happy about it."

"He's not going to be when I find him and kick his ass!"

"Oh, Sanji babe, calm down. Text me!"

"Have you heard from Luffy?" Sanji asked Zoro curiously, as he hung up.

"Yeah, he's making his way back to Ussop's because he had found that polar bear coming from the harbor during his and Ace's run this morning, and hung out with him all day," Zoro said, giving him an impatient look. It took Sanji a few moments to realize that he was talking about Bepo. "Didn't you get the texts? It was really annoying."

"No. 'Hung out'? Hah ha! Okay, well, apparently Gin and a friend is looking for me, so let's go look for them. They're headed to your house," Sanji said, sending a message to Law. Then he blinked, looking around them. "Weren't we sitting on a blanket?"

"Yeah, Mihawk took it."

"….How? If we were on it?"

"Don't ask. I've learned not to bust my own head about those kinds of thoughts."

"Okay. Cool. Well, let's go."

They were walking down a stairway from the train station ten minutes later when Sanji caught sight of Gin and Pearl walking along a pathway that overlooked one of the city's water canals. With how cold the weather had been lately, there weren't too many pedestrians out, the few walking by holding their jackets tightly with plastic bags fluttering in cold hands. Sanji lit up another cigarette, put his lighter away carefully, then pointed them out to Zoro.

"I hope they're worth the waste of time," Zoro said with a yawn. "I'll take the other guy."

"Hey! Hey! We're over here!" Sanji shouted out from their side of the road, catching the pair's attention. A passing moving truck obscured their view for a few seconds.

When the truck finally passed, it was only Pearl ambling over, his curlique being brushed back towards his hairline as his lips settled into a sneer.

"Huh? Weren't there two just now?" Sanji asked, blinking as he looked from side to side, Zoro looking up. He made a startled face, and shoved Sanji away from him, moments before Gin could hit either of them with the tonfas he was twirling in both hands.

"Let's make this quick and easy!" Gin said, kicking out at Zoro, then reacting with a whirl towards Sanji, who quickly twisted and jumped away to get space between them. "You've got to take a walk with us. Krieg wants a word with you."

"I don't want it," Sanji said, exhaling smoke to the side as Pearl finally made his way over, crossing the street with his hands in his pockets. "It's got nothing to do with me."

"Look, don't make it weird, Blackleg," Gin said, letting Pearl take over on Zoro so he could talk to Sanji privately. "You know what this is about. It's just business."

"If it is, send a letter. I'm not involved with that shit."

"Well, you kind of are, now," Gin said impatiently, Zoro and Pearl locked in combat behind him. "I don't think I have to explain it to you, you're a little smart for a blondie."

"Hey, don't insult my hair," Sanji complained, flipping it briefly, Gin admiring the sight for a few moments before he realized what they were doing.

"Krieg didn't appreciate being looped in with the others, he has his own thing going. When his lab was destroyed, he wasn't happy. Now, it's either you or him that he wants to talk to."

"It's not me he wants to 'talk' to. He's trying to get to him for revenge. That's what it comes down to."

"Basically," Gin said uncomfortably. He was dressed in a Jordan hoodie, with a matching head wrap, spiky black hair shooting up from it. His red earrings were dull in the early afternoon sun – made from uncut rubies. The striped joggers he wore matched the gray and black basketball shoes he wore. He looked as if he belonged on a basketball court, waiting for a pick up game rather than facing him with tonfas in each hand. Sanji himself was dressed in a fashionable orange peacoat with brown trousers and leather shoes with a cardigan on underneath, a plain white tee under that, and he looked like he should've been posing for a magazine – but Gin had always liked that about him. Sanji was very fashionable compared to the rest of the guys, and always put more effort into his clothing choices, and Gin had to remind himself once more that he was on a mission.

"This is so weird," he said with a frown. "Like, I have to go back to school on Monday with you after doing this. I hope you don't hate me, or anything."

"I hated you since the moment I saw you," Sanji assured him.

"Shut up! You're such an ass! I'm feeling bad, here, and you talk shit so easy!"

"You know how it is!"

"So, I was at your place looking for you," Gin then said, spinning in quick, throwing the tonfas around with such ease that he might as well as have been carrying pens or pencils – Sanji had to move quickly to avoid brutal impact, choosing to keep his distance until he could find a clear shot and more room to maneuver.

"You broke into my place? Fucker!"

"I told you, it's this job! Anywho – "

Once Sanji righted himself, he realized why Law dropped him off at Mihawk and Zoro's. it made his face flush with righteous anger, utterly annoyed. The man knew this was going to happen – and he didn't trust him to defend himself? He had to find Sanji company to keep? It was so insulting. He couldn't wait to see him so he could slap him in the balls.

" – now that Krieg knows there's a relationship between you two, he figured, What the hell. He'll get his revenge by picking up on his boy toy. So once word began to spread about this guy's actions in the underground, Krieg sort of contributed to it by confirming the relationship you two have based off what Crocodile said of you two coming into the 'Hut that time," Gin said, still moving fast, leaping, twisting and shooting outward, trying to knock Sanji into next week, but Sanji was just steps ahead of him.

"So now that the gossip's out there, you realize that with all the trouble he's caused, you'll be the ultimate target?" Gin asked, using the broadside of a passing trailer truck to run across, flip up and land a hit into Sanji's mid-section as he caught him a second too late from evasion. He followed that up with a couple more hits that knocked Sanji off his feet and slammed back first into a nearby light pole, the structure wobbling for a few moments.

"But they're holding a meeting on dissolving the labs anyway," Sanji said with a grimace, holding his stomach. "They finally realize that it doesn't do much of anything, especially when there's stronger fighters out there that don't need the stuff."

"Yeah, I personally don't see the reason behind it, either," Gin admitted, shrugging as he gave Sanji time to recover. Behind them, Zoro and Pearl were fighting their way towards the canal, causing pedestrians to scramble out of their war zone. "I remember Krieg saying that they used it as a power advantage back in the day, when the formula was pure, but since other groups started emerging – "

"Don't you pity hit me!" Sanji snapped, back on his feet and catching him with a kick in the ribs, sending him flying back towards the stairway.

"I wasn't!" Gin yelled, popping up from the rubble he made upon impact, tonfas whirling once more as he charged at the teen charging after him. They clashed in the middle, exchanging contact for a few minutes before pushing away. "AS I WAS SAYING, since other groups came along, the formula's not the same! So Krieg, one of the original syndicate heads, knows that no matter what, the White Rabbit will no longer be the pure stuff that was used earlier upon their establishing territories. He's all for the dissolving of the labs."

"Why are you running your mouth when I'm fighting you?" Sanji asked, attacking again, frustrated that those tonfas kept blocking him from landing any kicks. His leather shoe kept bouncing off either the cannonballs or the metal of the tonfas' length.

"I'm just letting you know why we have to bring you to Krieg," Gin said with a shrug, shoving outward, catching one foot with a twist, and landing an elbow against Sanji's face, knocking him off his feet once more. "It's nothing personal. Besides, after the meeting today, things might even change. Krieg keeps saying that Zeff's time is over. There's a new era coming in, and all the old needs to be replaced."

"Krieg is as old as the old man! He doesn't think he could take his place, does it?" Sanji asked, wiping the corner of his mouth, where his teeth cut his lip.

"All of them think they can do better without rules," Gin said, lunging forward to fake and twist a hit, landing another one straight into Sanji's ribs. Sanji kicked out, fending him off until he could get enough space between them. Once he had it, he winced, holding his side. It was irritating how fast this classmate of his was with those clumsy weapons of his. It wasn't exactly the strength that he used to fight with, it was the constant momentum of the weapon, combined with the weight of the cannonball that made him super strong.

"But rumor is, your – companion," Gin stressed, hating the word 'boyfriend', "is gathering up everyone's formulas. Obviously looking for the point of origin. So that made other people curious. Even Krieg doesn't know how it originated – it was just there in the beginning. He thinks that if he could get the pure formula himself, he can use it for himself."

"I see," Sanji said, straightening. "Well, good luck with that. I'm sure he'll be very cooperative for you guys."

"See, if Krieg has you, he was very sure that he'll be very cooperative. As well as Zeff. He's certain Zeff knows where the original formula is."

It suddenly occurred to Sanji why Law was so interested in that book of his family history.

"You know something?" Gin asked him, giving that expression of his a frown.

In that moment, Sanji had the terrible thought that Law was using him just to get close to Zeff. He was so set on finding the origin of White Rabbit, what if his relationship with Sanji was just a cover to get in close?

"No," he answered heavily, hating the feeling of doubt that suddenly settled in his stomach.

"Liar!" Gin exclaimed, charging at him. Sanji fended off his attack, his mind miles away at that moment.

"I don't," he said, grabbing a hold of the other teen's hoodie, and flipping onto his back to toss him away. "I just barely found out about this damn world just after school started this semester!"

Gin righted himself just in time to block the kick that was aimed for his head. As he fended off Sanji's attack, he saw that Pearl had been knocked into the water canal, and Zoro was making his way back to them, yawning noisily.

"That ass," he said with a sigh, side-stepping once, and then plowing forward with both tonfas to catch Sanji in the gut. As he went down, Sanji twisted and kicked him atop of the head, knocking him down with him. Both of them laid on the sidewalk for a few seconds, struggling to recover.

"Besides, once he finds it, what's he want with it anyway?" Gin grumbled against the sidewalk, dizzy, sure his brain was still rattling around in his skull.

"I don't know," Sanji answered truthfully, trying not to throw up. "He's never said."

Gin reached over and patted his shoulder. "Well, it's time to get things out in the open, then."

"Don't touch me."

"I'm trying to be nice!"

"I don't want your 'nice'! You're trying to take me to your boss! Why should I be nice to you?"

"Because I'm being nice about it, asshole!"

"HAH!"

"…I've got a headache," Gin then said with a sigh. "Did you finish your study packet?"

"No. I'm stuck on number 40."

"Damn. Well, anyway, that's that, then."

"You suck as a henchman."

"Whatever."

Later on that day, Law finally looked at his cellphone. He squinted at all the messages, then found himself too tired too focus on them. He tossed it to Bepo. "Read them. If any of them looks as if someone important to me is dying, let me know."

"You have legs - !" Penguin growled, walking unsteadily with him on his back, Shachi grumbling as he looked through the photos he'd taken of all the syndicate heads and their delegates, holding Law's sword in the other hand. "Why aren't you walking on your own?"

Law rested his cheek atop of his head. "Because I'm tired. And friends are there to help each other through all the bad times, right?"

"Why am I the one carrying you, then? You never offer to carry me after a hard day's work."

"Because we all know Shachi doesn't lift."

"SHUT UP!" Shachi snapped at him, looking insulted. "I can, too!"

Minutes later, Penguin was trying not to laugh as he rested Law's sword against his shoulder. He shook his head as Shachi struggled to walk with Law on his back, Law looking around with a stoic expression. His heavier, taller frame on the smaller man's back made it difficult for Shachi to hold him properly, but Shachi was determined to do it, anyway.

"Honestly, senpai, you're the worst," Penguin commented.

"Anything important?" Law asked Bepo as they paused at a crosswalk, Shachi straining. Penguin made the situation worse by using the toe of his Converse to nudge the inside of his knee in, Shachi struggling not to buckle under the pressure.

"Sanji said that Gin and Pearl came by to visit him, and they said that Krieg is onto you. He just knows that Zeff is aware of the original formula's whereabouts. Oh, and you're an asshole for dropping him off at Zoro's in front of everybody and…I don't understand what some of these things mean," Bepo confessed, showing him his phone. Sanji had stopped texting words and instead sent him furious faced emoji's and symbols that might've been only rage texting.

"He's so cute."

"Wouldn't it be weird if Zeff was the one to actually been the originator of the drug here in the states?" Penguin asked, walking forward once the lights began flashing. Shachi continued on, Law leaning an elbow against his shoulder as he propped his chin up thoughtfully. "But I can't see him doing it, considering how he enforces everyone else to be on their best behavior."

"He wouldn't have," Law agreed. "But I can see why Krieg would want the original. He might think it a more potent version for his use to gain more power over the others. Once these guys get to a certain age, they want more ability over the young guys that are starting to pop up. It was interesting to hear all their opinion on the matter."

"The younger ones didn't quite mind the dissolving of the drug at all," Penguin said. "It was more of a money maker for them than anything else."

"Oh, my slipper…"

"STOP WEARING HOUSE SHOES OUTSIDE!" Shachi snarled, looking back at the offending footwear. Bepo snatched it up, still scrolling through Law's phone. Once he slipped it back onto Law's foot, Shachi continued walking, sweating and red-faced. Penguin took a selfie with his look of effort, Law leaning so far back to avoid the picture that it took Shachi off balance.

Minutes later, Bepo was carrying Law and Shachi was wiping his face with his overalls as Penguin chuckled.

"It was the older ones that wanted it," Penguin finished, looking through his own collection of information gathering. "I also thought it was interesting that Zeff looked reluctant to continue any enforcement of power over current events."

"He's set to retire soon, he doesn't want to put any more effort into it," Law, hugging Bepo's neck as the bear carried him easily. "Why should he? I think that once he leaves, the others will be clamoring all over each other to get what power they need to be the top dog, and it won't be so organized, anymore."

"Those guys aren't back from Florida, yet?" Penguin asked him.

"They went to Louisiana. That idiot is set on wrestling with alligators."

"Ah. Crocodile wasn't enough?"

"Shachi, where do you want to eat, today? I feel bad for picking on you all the time, but it's for your own good."

"Shut. Up. I want pancakes."

"To Ihop, Bepo."

"Gin was pretty tough," Penguin commented, strolling alongside Bepo's strides. "You're not worried about Sanji fighting with him?"

"That's why I left him with a babysitter."

"He's not a kid. He doesn't need a babysitter. It's sort of perverted how you are."

"Pray for me."

"No."

Shachi then looked at his phone, reading the email that came back. When he opened it, he whistled. "I'm sending you the translation, jerk off."

"It's ready?"

"You're going to be so stoked."

Once Bepo retrieved the email, he opened up the photos, then gave it to Law. Law looked it over, brightening.

"The original formula!" he exclaimed, jumping off Bepo's back. "This is it! It was definitely used to aid that family's reaction times during a mission."

"Then we have no need to bust up people's labs?" Penguin asked him curiously, stepping out of the way of a woman and her stroller, the toddler gaping up at Bepo with wide eyes. The bear waved at him.

"No, we'll keep up on the older syndicates', just to make sure they do away with it completely. But now, I need to know why this information was here in the first place. Who originated it? I'll have to ask Zeff later on."

"Will he even talk to you?"

"No. But I have my ways of getting the information I want."

"I'm sure you do."

Later on, after a hard day's work packing up most of their suspicious things and taking it to the storage unit across town, Law went to find Sanji. It took some tracking but he finally found the teen occupied with fighting with Gin near the edge of town, and he found it troublesome that they were near the west side, where Krieg's property was. He caught up to Zoro, who was eating a corndog from a nearby vendor, looking utterly bored as he waited for Sanji to finish the battle.

"We've been here awhile," Zoro warned him as he sat down on a nearby rock wall that overshadowed somebody's garden below. "Gin was supposed to bring him back to Krieg."

"That's unfortunate."

Zoro shrugged, dipping his corndog into mustard. "His partner went for back up half an hour ago, so I was waiting for his arrival."

"This is inconvenient for me. I have plans. I'll just go talk to Krieg myself, then," Law said with a suffering sigh, rising to stand.

"He'll get pissed if you stop the fight for him," Zoro said, pointing at Sanji.

"In the end, Krieg's only pushing his minion to do his bidding in order to talk to me. that's all it is."

"So everyone pretty much knows that you're this couple, then, right?" Zoro asked, finishing off his corndog. "Isn't that a little weird?"

"Why would it be?" Law asked him curiously. "No, I take it back – it is a very odd situation for me in the first place. I didn't come back here for something like this to happen – I was here on business. It happened suddenly. Everything else that happened as a result was just a weird reaction that I'm still adjusting to."

"All I'm saying is that I never thought Sanji would wind up with a dude, but he did, and he seems happy with it, but the end result is that he wound up with someone who is a lot more trouble than he usually is, so it ends up being more interesting for the rest of us. We haven't had fights like this in a while. Arlong was the first."

Law studied him for a bit. "You're like Luffy, you're more appreciative of the action, other than the fact that your friend is with a man?"

"Yes. I could care less about that, what matters most is the action. Street fights are nothing compared to this," Zoro answered, looking satisfied. "I suspect they'll only get grander the more involved you are with the attention you're bringing as a result of this White Rabbit thing. So far, we've battled at least three syndicate heads and there's still so many left to go as they get all uppity with what you're doing and what he's learning about Zeff."

"It won't end anytime soon, but it isn't as if Sanji is a damsel in distress. He can handle his own very well. All I have to do is worry about whether or not I can actually reach my goal in making this drug go away for good."

"Nothing else? No reach for power or glory?" Zoro asked skeptically. "Because that's what it all stems down to. Everyone having power over somebody. Reaching for something that's only in between it all sounds like nothing."

"That's all. I want it gone. All that matters right now is getting to the person who brought it here in the first place and having some words with him. With everyone in agreement in that this isn't a very useful drug and dissolving their labs, that's half the battle for me. With all of them on edge in that I'm coming around to make sure they're gone, they'll do what it takes to either guard themselves or lash out. If they use Sanji to do so, more power to him and your group to fend for yourselves."

"What if he gets hurt?"

"That's a thought a friend like you shouldn't have. Have confidence in him. I'm sure you'd feel insulted if he felt the same sort of worry for you."

"Ah, you're right. I'd be pissed if I knew he was concerned over something I was doing."

"Meanwhile, Krieg's underling is only battling him to get to me, so I'll be off to talk to Krieg. However Sanji finishes this fight is up to him."

"Okay. Cool. That'll put a stop to all this nonsense. Gin is only dragging it out because he's hitting on him, anyway," Zoro said with an annoyed tone. "I don't know if this is a twisted date of some kind, or what – "

He blinked once he realized that Law was no longer there, but he did hear Sanji's roar of outrage moments later. He looked over, seeing Law snatch Gin out of mid-air and disappear with the surprised teen in an instant. Sanji was furious, and Zoro snorted, rolling his eyes as he realized what had been done. Sanji stomped over to him, looking insulted and furious that his battle had ended so abruptly.

Later on that evening, Sanji rose up from the dinner table as Law appeared at the condo with a satisfied expression.

"Situation has been handled," Law announced, setting his sword aside and wearily pulling off his jacket. It had a gaping hole in the back, where Krieg had tried to run him through with his battle axe. Since the material was ruined, he trashed the rest of it. "Krieg was nice enough to admit that his version of White Rabbit wasn't good enough for continued marketing, but we still need to negotiate a truce."

"Why did you stop my fight?"

"I didn't," Law said, eyes wide. "All I did was retrieve him because I needed him and Krieg together so I could talk to them both. Were you guys fighting?"

Sanji snarled at him.

"What's this? Dinner for one? Where's Zeff?"

"That was real cute of you, dropping me off like that," Sanji then snapped at him, walking away from the table and stomping into the kitchen. Law examined his plate with interest, taking a couple of bites from the baked chicken, creamy mashed potatoes, steamed vegetables. When Sanji returned with a plate of his own, Law sat down immediately with a happy face, grateful for no takeout. Despite his current angry feelings, Sanji couldn't resist giving him a hard kiss on the cheek for being so appreciative of the meal.

"Who is Zoro's father, anyway?" Law asked him curiously as he sat down next to him, the man immediately hooking his leg with his.

"Mihawk? Well, he's uh…I don't know. He's Mihawk."

"I know he's a desk pusher, but I'm not really familiar with him. Anyway, not that I care, I just thought that dropping you off at a friend's would make you happier, considering Krieg's intentions," Law said, grinning as Sanji looked annoyed once more. Cramming food into his mouth, Law was absolutely appreciative of the meal while Sanji picked at his with a stubborn expression.

"I don't need a goddamn babysitter!"

"But two strong guys broke into your place with the intention of doing bad things to you –"

"Don't suggest disgusting things, and stop talking with your mouth full."

"I thought I was being nice."

"You're far from being 'nice'," Sanji muttered. "Anyway, what'd you find out, today?"

"That's for the adults to discuss. Will Zeff be back, soon?"

"Not until late this evening. He's going to have dinner with some friends that flew in," Sanji said. Then he threw his fork at him, Law ducking quickly to avoid being hit, still eating. "And stop acting like I wouldn't understand what is happening! I'm just as involved, here!"

"All I ask of everybody is to give me their formulas so I could find where it originated from. Since none of them want to cooperate nicely, I have to be the bad guy, here, and destroy their labs and get their formulas myself. The more formulas I get, the closer I get to finding who the person was that created it in the first place, here. Now, I already found the original formula –it was a stroke of luck that you were given that book, because it was in there. all I need to know is who continued to make it and market the idea of it to the other syndicate heads. That's the basis of this talk, Sanji."

"Oh, and I spoke with Gin," he added. "He won't bother you again."

Sanji's face flushed red, and he looked insulted. "What the hell - ?"

"All I asked was that he respect that you're already taken. You know I don't like sharing. Even if he admires you from a distance, as they all should, faking play dates just to flirt with you is unacceptable. He will respect my request and not bother you again."

"Who the hell are you to -?"

"You're too nice of a person to reject an advance, so I did it for you, because I am not a nice person, and I can be extremely territorial. You were already aware of that."

"I hope you don't go around and do this to anybody that looks at me funny," Sanji muttered, mortified.

"You wouldn't feel the same, if the situation were reversed?" Law asked him curiously. "It'd be okay if someone were to pursue me in that fashion - ?"

"I would be an adult about it. I know you have admirers, how can you not? You're gorgeous. But I'm not going to go around blasting people for wanting to look at you."

"So it was fine for Gin to flirt with you like that in front of me?"

"I didn't even know you were there!"

"But it was fine for Gin to behave like that when you're already taken? You didn't even put him down properly. He felt he had a chance."

"He didn't have a chance!"

"I told you already I am a jealous person. If I feel something of mine is being threatened with being taken from me, I get a little vindictive."

"A 'little'? Gin had no chance with me, this is an embarrassing subject, not only is he working for Krieg, he's my classmate."

"Then he better switch schools."

"You're being ridiculous, right now. You're getting pissed over things you can't possibly control."

"I just feel that because he's closer to your age and experience, he has a chance of being a better person for you, because I am obviously too old and experienced and not someone Zeff would approve of – "

"He wouldn't approve of him, either! And it's not up to Zeff who I see!"

"Well, then."

"For someone with as much experience as you, looking the way you do, you're definitely not a secure person," Sanji observed with a frown. "I'm insulted that you can't even trust in me. I'm a very loyal person to those I care about, and for you to think that I'm easily swayed – "

"You left Nami just like that."

"Nami didn't even give me a chance! I had no chance with her!"

"If you can leave one, you can leave another."

"I'm not leaving you!"

"There it is, you said it. You said it, so now I'm going to hold you to it," Law said with satisfaction, picking up his fork while Sanji stared at him with utter bewilderment. "You gave me this ring, so I expect you to be entirely faithful to me."

Sanji tried not to stab him with his fork, holding it tightly within one hand and growling, red-faced. But he dropped it because the moment was too childish, even for him, so he settled with eating again.

Law cleaned his plate, scraping the surface of it with the tines of his fork as Sanji winced, and yanked it away to go refill it. "So, anyway, that's the events of this day."

"Now, what?"

"I don't know. Look, I need you to stop talking about these unimportant things. I need you to go to the bathroom and go take a shower."

"What? Why? And don't tell me when I have to - ! Oh." Sanji's expression was a combination of eagerness and embarrassment as he returned with the plate, nearly dropping it in front of him. "Oh. Um. Okay. Okay. We're going to do this? Now? Okay."

"Are you nervous?" Law asked him, taking the plate before he could.

"Yes. Do you, um, have any idea what you're doing?"

"Pft. Of course."

"Have you done it before?"

"Ah…in real life?"

Sanji bit his lip, then struggled to let the nervousness go. It would be a big step – in the midst of fooling around, he was usually very adventurous and would take a plunge, but after what Gin said, and the experience after with Nami, he suddenly felt very hesitant to go that far.

Law watched him, looking concerned. "Do you not want to?" he asked.

"Um…well, when it's happening, I'm all for it, but um…will it change things? Between us?" Sanji asked carefully, sitting down once more. "Like…like after….will…will you still…be here? Or think of me the same?"

Law realized why he was suddenly cautious. He felt a little shame show in his features because he knew why Sanji said that. Of course Sanji would feel that he'd leave once they took a big step in this, but it made him feel sad that this was something Sanji felt he had to fear.

"I mean, of course, I trust you, I feel that… I just… I feel nervous about it because I don't want things to change between us," Sanji said nervously, stammering a little.

"We don't have to," Law told him gently. "I just thought you'd want to. I understand if you don't -"

"It's not that I don't, I just…I'm emotionally involved, here," Sanji confessed, his face and ears turning red. "If things changed after we did this, I…I'm not sure…how I would handle that."

"No, I understand. I have a reputation, and you've had bad experience. I get where you're coming from. The things we do, it's fine. I just…thought you'd want to."

"Of course I do. With you. I just…I'm nervous about it. I don't…I don't want you thinking differently of me after, when – I'm just scared that you'd leave me afterward," Sanji mumbled.

"I've dug this hole for myself, so I admit that it's right of you to feel that fear," Law said carefully. "But I also want to add that this is new for me, too, this entire experience. I feel that I've been given another chance at 'losing my virginity' to someone I care about, and I'm not just tossing it aside that recklessly just to experience something new. If I wanted to go that route, I would have already done it."

"Are you using me to get close to Zeff to ask about the White Rabbit?" Sanji blurted out. He finally looked at him, nervous to see something negative on Law's face.

"Sanji, that's ridiculous," Law said, a serious expression to his face. "Why would you say that sort of thing after this?"

"I just feel that – well, Gin said that it's pretty much known that they know what you're about, and…I just thought that – "

"That's insulting. It's hard enough admitting that what I have with you is something I didn't want in the first place with anybody, but to know that you think I have intentions other than what I do now is just a slap in the face."

Sanji examined the disappointed expression on Law's face. Then he apologized softly, reaching out to grab his hand. "I'm sorry. You're right. That was a fucked up question."

"I'm not afraid of anyone, by the way. If I have a question, I'm going to ask it, regardless of whom the person is I need an answer from. If this thing never happened between you and I, I would be at Zeff's establishment, asking him in front of his crew."

"I was just…scared. I'm really happy to be with you, I just don't want to lose it in any way to anything that can be prevented," Sanji muttered, rubbing his fingers within his.

Law sat there for a few moments, just thinking. But then he leaned in and said with a half smile, "Aw, Sanji, do you have a crush on me?"

"What a stupid question to ask at this point in time!" Sanji snapped back at him, flinging his hand back at him. "I switched teams because of the voodoo that you do!"

"My cute little Frenchie - !"

"Stop calling me a dog!"

"Cock your head. Bark for me."

Sanji leaned back in his chair to try and kick him, but the man dodged it, then stepped in close, picking him up effortlessly to walk towards the living room, and then slamming him into the cushions of the couch. He grunted, Law following up with a pin, ruffling his hair and petting the top of his head. Sanji scrambled out from the attack, Law pulling him back to the couch and wrapping all his limbs around him as he cursed.

"You're so cute when you're mad," Law said, squishing him with a hug.

"You are so goddamn weird!" Sanji snapped at him, struggling to get loose.

"What else did that kid say to you, today?" Law asked him, rolling over him and pinning him to the couch as Sanji wheezed under his weight, pushing his face away from his.

"Just that Zeff's era is over, blah, blah, blah, everyone knows we're together, blah blah blah, Krieg wants the original formula, yadda, yadda, yadda…"

"They do? What is this 'everyone knows', business…?"

"Krieg knows that if he sent Gin after me, he can get to you."

Law gave a pensive expression, but Sanji was pretty sure he was just being sarcastic. "Ah, damn. So, they figured out my ultimate weakness…"

"I am nobody's gambling tool!"

"I have no worries about your ability to defend yourself. I just find it worrisome that I am so obvious. After all these years of being secretive with the things I like, being suddenly noticed for it makes me a little self conscious."

"Oh, please, you get a nose bleed every time you see something cute," Sanji mumbled, then gave a shout of dismay as Law made to bite his nose.

"Don't say such troublesome things."

Sanji heard the sound of spit being worked up as Law's lips tightened. He gave him a look of horror, renewing his efforts to escape. But once Law had his hands pinned, Sanji shrieked, then whipped his head from side to side as Law maneuvered himself over him, head slightly lowered towards his.

"Take it back."

"What are you, five? STOP! GET OFF!"

"Take it back."

Sanji screamed again, trying to pull his head back as Law allowed only a dribble of spit over his lip.

"Why is this such a bad thing when we swap spit all the time kissing?" Law asked awkwardly around the spit gathered at his lip.

"Because the way you're doing it now is disgusting! GET OFF ME! Act your damn age!"

"Not until you take back what you said."

"I'm sorry!" Sanji screamed, Law swallowing and kissing his cheek before rolling off him. "How can you live with yourself? This is something I saw Doffy do to Cora, by the way."

"I admit, some things I learned by watching him," Law said reluctantly, feeling insulted.

He then straightened out, and pulled him tight up against him, kissing his neck and shoulder as Sanji cautiously relaxed against him. He inhaled deeply of the teen's scent, the smell of his skin leaving him feeling pleased that it was natural and musky, with traces of his cigarette smoke lingering there. "I feel that when you react primitively, that's when your true self is revealed to me, and that's the self I enjoy seeing the most. Happy memories, and all."

"You're just a pervert, is all."

"That, too," Law said with a sigh, reaching around Sanji to feel for his dick. Sanji shoved his hands away.

"Not in the front room, where there's no lock for the door," he said stiffly, trying to focus as Law shifted his hands from his front to his hips, holding them in place while he rubbed his boner against his ass.

"Every time we rough house, you get me on edge."

"I've noticed that."

Sanji tried not to react when he felt Law's hand shifting from his hip to underneath his cardigan and shirt, but he did feel himself responding to it. When his fingers brushed up against his nipple, he tilted his head back a little, back arching. He reached back to grip the man's hair in his fingers, pressing his ass up against the bulge that rubbed against him.

"Undo your pants."

"Wait, let's go to my room, first - !" Sanji started to say, but blinked when he realized they were already on his bed. He grinned as the other man struggled to use one hand on his pants and the other to touch, and this time Sanji had nothing to stall him with.

After they'd cleaned off and resettled back down on the couch, he found the remote and turned on the tv. Not even ten minutes later, the man was snoring against his back while hugging him tightly from behind, and Sanji was watching a horribly dubbed Japanese game show, a strong feeling of happiness settling over him. He reached back and patted the man's hip and dared to think that this was how happiness was supposed to feel between two people.

Later on that evening, Sanji woke up to the sounds of Zeff saying something threatening, and Law's smooth answer that only made the man's response even angrier.

"Then prove it," Law said, something being slapped down atop of a hard surface. "Explain what that means."

"I don't have to explain anything to you."

"It's in the family history, fucking old man. Right here. You're the only one that would know about this shit! Did you make it?"

"No. I did not. Why would I?"

"Because you worked for them! How much stupider can you get?"

"Call me stupid again, you shitty criminal. I did not make that formula. However it got out wasn't from me. Where the fuck did you get that book?"

"From Sanji's room."

"Where the hell did he get it?"

"Kureha's."

"I don't know who that is. Give me that thing."

"What are you guys fighting about?" Sanji asked, rising up from the couch, sucking in slobber from his lips. The tension only seemed to increase as he did so, and he stood up to see that Law was glaring at Zeff as he was looking through the novella that Kureha had given him.

"It is the original formula," Zeff muttered as he found the page and looked it over. He looked surprised as he examined the contents of the rest of the book. "Eggplant, your family used it to carry out their missions long ago. This idiot here thinks I brought it over here. But truth be told, I never had anything to do with it."

"You knew they were hopped up when they carried out a mission?" Sanji asked curiously.

"At the time of my employment, I knew that they used something to 'keep them awake and aware', but I had never any idea that it was this formula," Zeff said firmly. "I didn't know it was the White Rabbit. It's very troublesome that it's existence was acknowledged from over there and forced to thrive here."

"You're the head chef, you old fart. You knew more than that!"

"Chef, not pharmacist, you fucking prick."

"Then how did it come to be here?"

"Maybe ask the place where you got this from," Zeff snapped at him. "Who is this Kureha?"

"This old witchy woman at a bookstore," Sanji answered, cautiously stepping between them. "She knows just about everyone out here, she said. She knew about you, she knew about Zoro, who I was with the day I went in there."

"Where is this bookstore?"

"Weston and Pointe."

"Then it looks like I'll have to visit it, as well," Zeff said, shutting the book and keeping it. He glared over at Law. "You come at me like that again, I'll make sure that polar bear doesn't pull you out the harbor this time. You understand? Why is this such a big deal with you, anyway? This entire White Rabbit business?"

"It's personal."

"Which means you've had a negative effect to it, in some point of your life."

Sanji felt very uncomfortable when Law looked the man dead in the eye and said firmly, "I watched someone very close to me overdose on it. It never left me."

Since it was the first time he'd heard of the reasoning behind Law's obsession with the White Rabbit, Sanji looked at him in surprise, various thoughts running through his mind at that point. He was so occupied with looking at Law with curiosity that he didn't see Zeff's face whiten, looking moments from reacting physically. But the feeling left his face, and his grip on the novella relaxed as he exhaled heavily. Sanji looked at him with examination, noting the man's acceptance in the statement.

"I see," Zeff said, albeit reluctantly. He reached out and patted the top of Sanji's head before ruffling his hair. "Don't stay up too late with your racket. I have plans for us, tomorrow."

"It's that late?" Sanji asked cautiously, utterly bewildered at Zeff's turn of mood as he looked at the clock on the wall, sensing a complete turnaround from the man's hostile energy.

"Yes, it is. Good night."

"'Night, old man." Sanji looked at Law, a little thrown off by the entire exchange. He was still curious as to the story behind Law's reasoning, but the man turned away from him, phone in hand, already texting somebody. Unsure of whether to pursue the subject, he trailed after him, words caught in his throat.

"You never told me that," Sanji said cautiously.

"Only he would understand."

Fiddling with his belt, Sanji furrowed his brow and waited for the man to turn and acknowledge him in some way.

"Well…can you tell me about it?" he then asked.

"No. I don't feel like talking about it. It was a very traumatic event in my life. Listen, I need to go. Someone's been looking for our hideout, and they're making Shachi nervous and afraid, and he needs my cuddles in order to go to sleep," Law said, retrieving his jacket. "Text me in the morning when you wake up. I'll probably be out all night."

Sanji didn't know what to say, his thoughts running rampant as he watched the man ready himself to leave.

Aware of his sudden silence, Law turned to look at him. He reached out and patted his head, then rubbed his ear, Sanji only frowning at him and not reacting the way he usually did.

"What?"

"You're just going to drop a bomb like that and leave?" Sanji asked.

Law looked around himself, wondering if it were a trick question. Then said, "Yes."

Sanji continued to stare at him, his lips tightening slightly.

Law looked back at him, waiting for anything else form him. "Anything else?"

"So, this entire thing, it's about avenging someone you were close with?" Sanji asked.

Law stared back at him in silence, then gave a confused look beyond Sanji's head, then back at him again. "Yes," he drew out, almost in question form.

Sanji stared back at him, unsure of why the expectance in Law's expression. Then Law's brow furrowed as he looked Sanji in the visible eye, an expression of bewilderment present in his features.

Sanji finally looked away, shrugging. "Well, you did live a life without me in it. I guess you're fine to have secrets you'd like to keep."

"Sanji…? Really?"

"What? I just…okay. If you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to. I just thought that talking about something like that…well, it must've been personal. This person must've been very important to you if you're making this much of an effort over it."

Law continued to stare at him in silence, a little stunned. "I watched it happen from start to finish. It was my fault."

Sanji shrugged. "Okay. It's weird that Zeff understood and let it go. Did he know…her?"

For a moment, Law just touched his own forehead, looking at Sanji as if he'd grown a second head. Then he held up his hands. "I'm not touching this one, then."

Sanji gave him a confused look. Saying nothing else, Law just smiled at him, cradling his face within both of his hands. Then he kissed him soundly. "I'll see you later."

Sanji caught one of his hands, then kissed him back. "Look, despite everything…thank you for talking to me. Even if you felt jealous, or whatever, I'm glad you were able to share it with me. talking's important in this relationship, so we know where we're coming from. You were raised by two men who'd rather 'do' than talk so I'm just glad we can."

"I suppose you're right. It was nice talking to you, but I'd still rather express myself by jumping your boner whenever I have a chance."

"Ha ha! Me too," Sanji admitted. He grabbed his waist to pull him in close, then hopped up. He kissed him once more, tightening his legs around his waist and playing with his tongue with his, feeling Law respond in kind. "I liked what we did, today. Even though I suspect you did all that because you were being childish, again."

"What gave it away?"

"I will be changing into my PE clothes in a stall rather than out in the open where other guys can see your name on my back, you ass."

"Damn, you did notice."

"Dork."

After Law was gone, Sanji went after Zeff, the old man rubbing his feet with a wince.

"What was that about?" Sanji asked him curiously. "Did you know that person?"

Zeff just stared at him for a few moments. Then asked, "What?"

"You knew who Law was talking about."

"Of course." Then Zeff stared at Sanji for a few moments, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"It just feels like – like I didn't know why Law was so obsessed with this drug, he never said anything, and suddenly he comes out to you with it, and I'm just …I'm curious."

Zeff's eyes widened very slightly, but he said, "When we moved away, do you know why? The first time?"

"You said you accepted another job elsewhere. That's why we moved," Sanji said.

Zeff was silent for some time, then he exhaled heavily. "Listen, boy, it took me awhile to accept that you're with this idiot. Took me some time to process that you'd even go that direction in the first place. Yes, you were very ambiguous with your sexuality, but I didn't think you'd ever – but we are where we are. It always made me feel someway, that your age difference would be so big between you two, that he'd influence you in their direction. But you've always had a mind of your own, and you made your own decisions. To hear him say that to me tonight, it made me feel guilty all over again."

"Why?"

"Because despite my personal prejudices, he isn't like those fools. And he hasn't done anything to put you in direct danger, and he's always had an eye out for you. I admit, I don't like the way he conducts himself around you but…he's done nothing wrong on you."

"This is still going no where with me – "

"That idiot Doflamingo had a tin on him that was supposedly breath mints. Law gave you three of them. They were White Rabbit. You overdosed in their apartment. Doflamingo was able to revive you with a shot of adrenaline, but Corazon and Law were very traumatized. When Corazon brought you back to me, I would have killed them if Law hadn't intervened. When you regained consciousness, you remembered nothing of it. You just thought you had a very bad flu. Because this world was hidden to you, I said nothing of it. They said nothing of it. It appears you still lack the memory of it, and it makes me wonder if you'll ever remember it, or your past."

Sanji stared at him for several moments in complete silence. As he racked his memory, looking for such a traumatic time, he found nothing. Then he just stood there without anything to say, wondering if there was anything to say. If anything, he suddenly felt very bad for doubting Law's feelings towards him.

"Okay," he said slowly. "That's that, then."

"I'm going to go talk to this Kureha person," Zeff said. "With the talks today, the streets will be a little different. They want to eradicate the labs, but I know there are a few people that don't think they should have to get rid of it because of what other people think. At this time, please be aware of your surroundings. Anyone can be an enemy, and they're apparently not picky about the location or the people you're with if they chose to exact some sort of revenge."

"All right," Sanji said reluctantly. But his mind was preoccupied by Law, and not on the fact that Zeff was telling him to be careful.

"Sanji."

"What?"

"The fact that the White Rabbit originated from the family's history is a troublesome factor, indeed. It could mean many things. I just want you to know that whatever happens, it was never your fault."

Sanji looked at him with bewilderment, but Zeff rose away from his bed, waving him away.

"I'm getting ready for bed. Please at least hook a chair underneath that door. Will he be gone all night?"

"I don't need a goddamn babysitter."

"Fine, fine."

Sanji left his room and crossed into his, frowning at the new state of things. He found his phone and wrote a long paragraph to Law. Then he reread it, erased it, and texted, 'Homo,' with a smiley face.

The next day, he showered and dressed for an incoming day of snow and went to Zoro's. the other teen was still sleeping, Mihawk letting him in with caution, but Sanji jumped onto Zoro's back to wake him up.

"It's a beautiful day! It's time to wake up!" Sanji exclaimed, bouncing on his back. "Oh I'm sorry, do you have a morning boner?"

"GET OUT OF HERE!"

"Get dressed! Let's do stuff! Don't sleep most of this day away!"

"I HATE YOU!"

"Bouncey, bouncey bouncey bouncey - whoa!"

Zoro tossed him off as he got up, grumbling as he yawned and rubbed his eyes. He kicked Sanji aside on his way to the bathroom, Sanji snickering as he sat on the floor and group texted the others. He didn't want to sit at home by himself, thinking about the new developments. He was pretty sure the heavy fluttering in his chest was a scary indication of too much emotion in another man, and he wasn't sure how to deal with it. So he needed time and distraction to distance himself from the looming realization that perhaps this relationship was bigger than he thought.

When he and Zoro finally left the house nearly an hour later, he said to him, "So, remember the book the mummy gave me?"

"Yeah. Is she still alive?"

"Well, it turns out the White Rabbit original formula was in there. it actually originated from my family's history. They created it to have a better reaction time during their missions."

"Huh. That's crazy."

"So, Law confronted the old man about it, and the old man saw it for himself, and now Zeff is going to visit Kureha over it," Sanji said, lighting up. "That's where he's going, today."

"Those are interesting developments."

"Isn't it? But he was really cryptic about it, too. Oh, and…" Sanji trailed off, unsure of whether or not to talk about the other aspect of things. Zoro looked at him, hands in his jacket pockets as he noticed the sudden silence. Sanji shook his head. "Never mind. Let's go eat. Let's round up the others!"

"You're in a good mood, today," Zoro observed. "You're, like, glowing. Did you guys smash?"

Sanji kicked his shin. "NO! What sort of question was that?"

"Everyone asks that of each other when they're glowing for no goddamn reason!"

"I am pretty happy, but that doesn't mean we had sex, or anything," Sanji said, drifting away from him with a cheered expression. "No, it was agreed that we wait."

"Until it's legal?"

"NO! I mean, yes! Shut up."

"I seriously don't get the relationship, or whatever, but he can fight pretty good."

"That's how Zoro Roronoa determines what makes a person 'good', is their fighting skills," Sanji said with a suffering sigh. "Not the personality of a person, but their fighting ability."

"Hey, shut up!"

"But, yes, he's okay as a person…anyway, I don't want to talk about him, right now. So, Gin was saying – "

"What's up with that dude, anyway? He just stares at you. And that weird stuff he was saying a few days ago?"

"He gave me a verbal love confession."

"It's this weird glow you have. Ever since you started up with that guy, this one's been staring at you like, non stop. It must be some sort of sign or something on your face that invites this attention," Zoro decided.

"Am I glowing again? Like a light bulb?"

"Like oil on a fish. You must be in season."

"…Ew."

"It's really weird. As the person walking closest to you, I just want to say, as a friend, that you need to blast it so Luffy and I can have more fights under our belts. Because it seems like you attract other fighters."

Sanji stared at him for a few seconds, then shook his head.

"Did that sound weird?" Zoro then asked him, making a face. "It sounded weird coming out."

"I literally have no words. I can't think of anything to say, right now."

"Well, whatever. It's out there, now."

"Only best friends can say that type of shit to each other."

"We're 'best friends'? I didn't agree to this."

"Shut up."

At a restaurant nearby, Zoro kept an eye out for the others as Ussop slid into the booth with his pj's visible underneath his jacket, his hair tied in a ponytail, Sanji texting with a smiling face.

"Guys, so Luffy was hanging out with that polar bear yesterday," Ussop said, yawning, "and he said that it looks like they were moving. Are they leaving town?"

"No, probably just switching locations," Sanji said, setting his phone aside as Law kept texting him French Bulldog pictures. "They're making a lot of enemies."

"We should hang out with them, more," Zoro said.

"No. I refuse to blend friends with my boyfriend's friends because nobody will act their age."

"I need a rematch with that Penguin."

Ussop signaled for a waitress. "Also, Luffy said that they went to this building downtown where some sort of meeting was happening?"

"Yeah, but it was decided that there will be no more White Rabbit. It was a useless drug."

"That's awesome news," Ussop commented, asking for coffee, the others asking for their selection. "Guess we test our strength against guys that can actually fight rather than relying on a drug to win a battle for them. Not that it could, anyway."

"The streets will change because of it," Sanji said. "For the better, I suspect. Without the White Rabbit, now how are they going to entice fighters onto their side?"

"When Zeff retires, how do you think it'll change things?" Zoro asked curiously. "I think these fools would spiral out of control as they fight for power."

"Let them. It's not like any of them can do anything to us," Sanji said with confidence. "We're the main group that put them on edge, anyway! Strong fighters with no drugs in our system, I think we've proven our worth."

Zoro slapped his forehead with enough strength to cause expressions of concern from other diners. "Stay in season, fish."


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: :' (**

 **Guest: It was a sweet chappie, eh?I'm glad you liked it! This one should be sweet, too. Until…**

 **Chapter Sixteen:**

 **…And Your Mind Is Moving Slow …**

Luffy shouted happily as he sailed into battle, knocking rows of Krieg's men aside as the others looked around them with dismay. It had happened so suddenly – they were leaving the restaurant when Pearl attacked, knocking into Zoro so hard that the teen went flying through the restaurant windows, crashing over tables and surprised people. Nami was snatched up by a flying mound of sand, her startled scream moving from behind them to around them as Crocodile held her with a confident sneer. Krieg himself looked as if he'd just spent the last two nights wide awake, but his lazy grin was there.

"Once again, we are at an impasse," Crocodile said, holding Nami above his head as the teen tried to escape from the sand-like fingers around herself. Luffy was steadily moving through the minions that charged at them, so he knew he had a limited time to talk. Sanji faced him with a horrified expression at Nami, Ussop shaking so hard that as he stood behind him with his slingshot, his teeth chattered.

Both Krieg and Crocodile approached Sanji, who reached back to make sure Ussop was still in reach, patting the teen with some comforting action.

"I didn't appreciate the visit with your boyfriend yesterday," Krieg said with a frown, cigar lit. "He seemed to suggest that I stand down from this business I've built concerning the White Rabbit. Normally, I don't react so violently when some whelp approaches me with the intentions of taking me down, but this time, I had enough. Some nobody has no right to tell me how to live my life or how I should run my business. Unfortunately for you, Zeff has also made it clear that with his retirement, he will take the secrets of his history with him. He has also suggested that we all stand down from the manufacturing of White Rabbit. Some have agreed, as it doesn't seem to work as it should, and others, like myself, don't agree to it on the basis of the matter."

"I'm here for an entirely different reason," Crocodile said, covering up Nami's mouth as she shouted expletives down at them both. "We were going in the same direction, I thought I'd just tag along."

"I've got nothing to do with either of you! Now, let her go!"

"Well, that's the problem," Krieg said. "You do have something in common with both of us. I want your boyfriend's head on a plate. Crocodile here wants a favor."

"Then talk to me, and let her go!"

"When we battled, you used something. Whose was it?" Crocodile asked him, tossing Nami away, the teen shrieking as she sailed through the air. In panic, Sanji turned to go after her, but the sidewalk underneath his feet lifted and built around his legs, pinning him in place while Ussop jerked back with a startled yelp.

Seconds later, Luffy reached out and caught onto Nami, laughing as he continued to battle the horde.

Glad that she was safe, Sanji looked back at Crocodile. "It was Dr. Hogback's."

Both of them reacted with startled faces.

"But his is only fashion and celebrity sales, crummy substitutions for cocaine," Crocodile said with a frown. "Not meant for fighters, but for weird trips and image maintenance."

Sanji shrugged. "I don't know. But it was his I used."

"He must be selling through the back door," Krieg muttered. "We should have a talk with him. After this."

"Was this the first time you'd taken it?" Crocodile asked Sanji curiously. "Or were there others?"

"First."

"Then, take his," Crocodile said, indicating for Krieg to give one over. "I want to see if it's the same effect."

"Sanji, what is this about?" Ussop whispered from behind him.

"I'm not taking that," Sanji said, lifting his voice to be heard as Krieg signaled for one of his minions to toss him one of his pills. He struggled to remember how many stars Shachi had rated it, picturing the bead box on the counter. As Krieg handed it over within the palm of one hand, Sanji remembered the number of gold stars. He scoffed at it, making up a review of his own based on the star rating. "This was a bad product. It was nearly similar to Arlong's in terms of usefulness. It didn't last very long, was more of a caffeine high, and didn't offer added strength. Less overdoses, I admit, but most fighters had a seventy-five percent winning streak."

Krieg frowned at him, Crocodile snorting at the information. "Not only is that blasted Donquixote kid taking down our labs, he's taking note of the products. He's sharing the information with this one. Where is he, kid? He took something very valuable from me, and I want it back."

"Then you have what you need," Crocodile told him. "I have my information. I'll be paying the kind doctor a visit."

"What's the point of it?" Sanji asked him curiously, Ussop hanging on his back, whispering for him to shush. "Pursuing this information? Who cares what the drug can do for people?"

"Hey, idiot, what happens when Zeff stands down from power?" Crocodile asked him impatiently, cigar smoking.

"Chaos."

"So you think finding this formula will make sense to keep us in power as jackasses attempt to climb over each other looking for a better position to stand in, right?"

"Yeah, but…if you doubt yourself that much, then why even bother standing in power at all?"

Crocodile leaned in close with a sneer. "I don't like the way you said that. Who are you to suggest anything in the position you're in?"

"I'm just saying, if the truth hurts, you're going to be offended too easily when a younger generation starts moving in," Sanji told him, Ussop squeezing his shoulders.

Crocodile blew smoke in his face, Sanji waving it away with an annoyed look. "My business is my business. Anything else that you have to say to me regarding my decisions can be held on your damn tongue. You deal with Krieg, now."

With a waving motion, he gathered his minions, all of them leaving the battle with Luffy to accompany him away from the restaurant. Krieg looked after him with a severe frown. He formed a gun with one hand, and mimicked firing it at his back.

Sanji lifted his eyebrows, and commented, "I take it neither of you are on good terms with each other?"

"I'd rather not speak of him at this point in time," Krieg said, glaring down at him.

"Where's Gin?" Sanji then asked curiously. "Isn't he your right hand guy?"

"I'm afraid he had homework to finish," Krieg muttered with disgust.

Sanji had to laugh aloud, Ussop looking up at him with shock, Krieg frowning with disappointment.

Crocodile looked back at that moment, suspecting that Sanji was laughing at him. Once Ussop realized this, he grabbed hold of his friend's waist. "He's looking back here!" Ussop squeaked.

"How could you say that about him?" Sanji asked Krieg a little too loudly. "He's your friend, right?"

"Not exactly."

"Don't you trust him?"

Krieg gave him a curious look as Crocodile turned, Ussop whimpering. "What sort of question is that?"

"Obviously, you guys expect some degree of trust in each other, and if you don't trust him, then how is it you're able to work together?" Sanji asked him, quite aware that Crocodile was paying attention.

"There is a limited degree of trust between associates, based on this world we live in," Krieg said vaguely. "If he is quick to betray me, then I will handle the situation as I see fit."

"Doesn't that say anything about your level of friendship and trust?"

"A little."

"So, while he searches for the formula that best suits his ability to stay in control, what makes you think that he'll even trust you enough to stay in your spot? Don't you think he's plotting against you?"

"What is this, Krieg?" Crocodile asked, startling the other man with his sudden nearness. "What are you talking about?"

Before Krieg could answer, Sanji said to Crocodile, "He was just discussing with me the limited amount of trust he has in you. He feels you're working for the best formula to have in order to overthrow you once Zeff steps down, and he was asking me where Zeff thinks the other formula is located so he can counterattack yours."

"We were not having that type of discussion - !" Krieg exclaimed, but Crocodile's face was already tightening, and he was looking up at Krieg with expectation. "We were talking about my associate, Gin!"

"Like he would discuss with me my own classmate," Sanji said to Crocodile with a snort. "But it appears the first person you should be watching out for isn't either me or Law – it's your own associate, here. As soon as you talk to Dr. Hogback, Krieg will be preparing for your attack. And why shouldn't he? With your experience, you're quick to lash out on anyone that appears threatening to you, Crocodile."

"You do lash out without thinking," Krieg said, turning to face Crocodile with a sneer. "Like you are, now. What is this? I thought you were leaving."

"I'm listening to whatever this is. Are you plotting against me again, Krieg?" Crocodile asked.

"I'm always plotting against you!"

"You think you can take me on?"

"Without any trouble at all!" Krieg snarled, jerking back as Crocodile reacted, and Sanji turned and yanked Ussop after him as the two men clashed, their minions turning their startled attention their way. They abandoned fighting Luffy and went at each other.

"It can't be that easy!" Ussop exclaimed.

"It was!" Sanji shouted back, laughing as he caught up to Luffy and Nami, Zoro joining them moments later, abandoning Pearl's prone form behind him. "It was that easy!"

At the aquarium, Luffy and Ussop ran ahead, and Nami reached out to hold onto Sanji's hand like she usually did. But he tucked his hands into his jacket pockets the moment the movement was made, which made her realize she couldn't do those things, anymore. Zoro showed the cashier their passes, and the three of them walked up the entrance tunnel into the main tropical fish tank.

"When Zeff steps down, what's he going to do then?" she asked Sanji curiously. She was dressed in ripped jeans, Uggs and had a fashionable wool cap covering her short hair, her scarf tucked neatly within a zipped up leather jacket. "Work only at the restaurant?"

"I think so. We haven't really talked about it," Sanji confessed. "I'm sure we'll be around for a long while. There's no reason for him to add to that world, anymore."

"Do you think he'll miss it?"

"I don't know. To be honest, he enforced the rules, but what did he truly do in between? Who are his friends? His allies? I don't think any of the guys we've met so far feel any respect towards him."

"They respect him, or otherwise they wouldn't be following the rules," Zoro said, hands in his jacket pocket. He was dressed in black jeans, a green sweater with a stop sign on the front, and boots, his swords hanging neatly at his side.

"True, but in all these years, I never really saw him in the company of others, other than the crew at the restaurant," Sanji said. "And we never had any visitors."

"He kept it from you for a reason."

"Well, that reason's useless, now."

"So what happens with us now that you're no longer involved?" Nami asked curiously, pausing to take a picture of the fish swarming in the tank to their left. "I don't think you all will have so many fights. They're not going to care about Zeff at all, after this."

"If Law still isn't involved," Zoro pointed out.

"He's found what he was looking for, now he just needs to know who brought it over," Sanji mumbled. "But after that, I don't know what he'll do."

"Maybe you'll get your wish come true," Nami said with a grin. "The one you were always talking about. The house, the fence, the kids…?"

"Ha ha! With him? Yeah right! Law is…not the type to settle down. He's always on the move, and that's just how he is. I think that once things settle down, he'll have to find a new obsession to focus on. Maybe he'll go back to school, finish getting his degree. Did you know they're off for the semester from medical school?"

"All of them?" Nami asked, gasping. "Even those two?"

"Yep."

"Maybe you can find a college closer to his," Nami suggested.

"I've already decided on San Francisco, and he hates San Francisco. I think that when it comes down to it, there's a big possibility that it'll end there," Sanji said, looking off at another tank. "I want to believe in happy endings, but reality is, we've got different dreams."

"Are you in love with him?" Nami asked curiously, Zoro wandering off once he saw Luffy trying to climb into the turtle tank again, the security guard calling him by name as he ran over.

Sanji didn't want to answer that right away, feeling that heavy sensation in his chest, again. He wanted to tell her everything, but he felt he had to remain cautious. He had to think about what it meant to not have the memory of a traumatic event that had motivated his childhood friend to fight for answers all these years.

"I love the idea of him," he answered finally. "I feel that I can rely on him to be there when I need him, and when I don't need him, but I also feel that maybe we'll grow apart after a certain amount of time to continue to grow as individuals."

"So the idea scares you," Nami said, getting it instantly. "Because your idea of love wasn't what you'd expected."

"I'm not afraid of it, I'm afraid of losing it. I don't know how I'd handle it if I ended up losing something very beautiful to me. Because, in the end, it is a beautiful thing. Because he can be himself around me, and I can rely on him, and we're just kids again, enjoying each other's company."

"I think that's beautiful, too. I would love to find that with somebody, someday," Nami said, smiling at him. "But I still don't think you should think about losing it so soon, when it's still in the process of growing. When I saw you two, I felt better about us. Because I felt he was what I couldn't be to you, and you were what he cared about the most, and we can be friends, again."

"You saw that?" Sanji asked, blushing a little. "You really think so?"

"Yes. Because in all the times I've been around him, he's an ass. But when you looked at each other, he was happy, and you were happy, like no one else existed." She blushed, fanning her cheeks. "I heard the Brokeback Mountain theme in my head when that happened."

Sanji laughed aloud, Nami joining in moments later. Then he paused. "Wasn't that a tragic tale - ?"

"Anyway, don't be afraid. Just go with it. Wherever it takes you, just know that it was something you'd always wanted. At least you knew what it was."

She then reached down and held his hand, squeezing it tight. "Now, give me details! Have you guys done it, yet? What was it like? Is he just as dominating as he looks, or is he a passive freak?"

"Ha ha! That's so weird to talk about! But I can say this – he's very attentive and researches thoroughly on how to, um, make best of every situation."

"He looks like he pays attention to detail, I bet it must make you so self-conscious when you're getting into it, right?"

"Not at all!"

"How far have you guys gone? I want to know details! I think this is awesome because I can get advice from you on what a guy likes!"

"Ah, that's awkward…"

"Not that you have any feelings towards me anyway, right?"

"Not like that, no, but it's still awkward…I'll do my best to answer your questions, though."

Later, Doflamingo dropped the hot plate of nachos he'd just pulled from the microwave onto the floor as Law appeared suddenly behind him, Corazon choking on the chip he'd just put in his mouth.

"WARN ME," Doflamingo snarled at Law, who looked at the dropped plate with disgust. The big man had bandages on his jaw, neck and hands, and had a ridiculous sunburn where his golf hat had sat on his forehead. Both brothers were dressed for bed, Doffy in his Superman shirt and matching pants, Corazon in his robe and flannel pajamas with bunny slippers.

"Are you just waking up, or getting ready to go to bed? Because it's almost one in the afternoon," Law said warily.

"This is an event that you'll take to your grave wondering."

"Are those Kip nachos?" Law asked.

"'Kip'?"

"From Napoleon Dyna – "

"LAW! I've waited all this time for this moment!" Doflamingo then roared, causing some of the minions in the living room to hurry in with guns drawn. Corazon drank hastily of his soda before waving them off. "Did you know that crocodiles are more suited for seawater while alligators are less aggressive than a crocodile?"

Law stared up at him blankly. "And? So?"

"So when I went to wrestle an alligator, it did not wrestle me back," Doflamingo snarled, hands curled in front of him. "If I want to wrestle with a man sized reptile, I would have to seek out that old man!"

Law looked back at Corazon. "I thought we agreed that the Steve Irwin reruns were off limits for this bastard?"

"There were a couple of hours where I wasn't present," Corazon said with a sniff.

"You bastards, I am an adventuresome man. If I feel I would like to experience something different and unusual, I'm going to do it. I wanted to wrestle and pet an alligator. Not a crocodile. An alligator. Steve Irwin had nothing to do with this, bless his heart." Doflamingo plucked a couple of gooey chips from the floor, eating them. "Oh, by the way, Law, you'll be an uncle, soon."

Law gave him a skeptical look.

"You're not pregnant!" Corazon snapped at him. "It's impossible for men to get pregnant!"

"That's reverse sexism."

"I didn't come here for this," Law then said, walking up to the counter where Corazon was standing, picking at chips with microwave melted cheese on it. "I want to know what's happening now that the labs are being dissolved?"

"Weapons sales are rising," Doflamingo said, shrugging. "Now these bastards have to find a new way to fight each other, and they're doing it through gun sales. I'm making cash money."

"Did you know Sanji doesn't remember that day?" Law asked Corazon. "Not a single moment."

Corazon shuddered while Doflamingo suddenly turned and walked out the kitchen without saying anything. "I wish I didn't."

"Oh, and Krieg wanted you guys to have this," Law said, digging out a Tupperware case from his jacket pocket and dropping it on the counter. Corazon looked at it curiously, then brightened.

"My Chia Pet seeds!" he cried happily. "I'd wondered where I'd left them!"

Law gave him a disgusted look. "I thought they were seeds for something else entirely…"

"No, Law, what part of we don't do drugs do you not understand?" Corazon asked him impatiently, shaking the seeds within. He abandoned his nachos, nearly tripping as he left the kitchen. "Come with me. I have the pot for this. Krieg thought they were poppy seeds and stole them from me when we were having lunch one day."

Law read into it being said that they were in the midst of battle, and they must've fell from Corazon's jacket.

"So, how is Sanji?" Corazon asked. "Please tell him to make the thing we'd discussed before we left."

"When did you talk to him?"

"That night at your workplace," Corazon said patiently, leading the way to the balcony of the house, moving towards a shelf full of broken pots and outside decorations. Once he found the shape of a dog, he then located some potting soil and Law carried them both because the man was already having a hard time just holding onto the seeds themselves. "He knows what I'm talking about."

"Okay."

"So, what's up? What brought up this particular subject? I hope we don't have to talk about it in detail."

"Just that it came up and he had no memory of it. But now that it's being eradicated through the syndicates, my new goal is to find the person that forced it out to be marketed through the city as it was."

"That's very interesting. Good luck with that."

"Cora, I didn't come back here to start the things I did with him," Law said to him, speaking comfortably since it was only the two of them. "I did it because I watched my only friend die in front of me. That was my only goal at the time. The rest of it just happened."

"Things like this doesn't 'just happen', Law. While I don't approve of the fact that you're an older man preying on a younger man -"

"I'm not preying - ! Okay, maybe a little bit."

" – the fact that you're still here in the area despite the discomforts of your past and your uncle's interference says many things. That event was one of the worst things I could ever see. It is amazing that you're doing something positive in response to it."

"But everyone is aware of our relationship, and they're going to try to use it against me."

"They'll do that. But don't worry – Sanji is very capable of handling himself."

"I know that, but - !"

"What are you so worried about?" Corazon asked him curiously, patting down the dirt carefully before lighting up a cigarette. Law grabbed his robe and beat it against the floor to kill the flames.

He then sighed heavily, pulling on the material over his clothes. "I just have a bad feeling about things. Now that we're getting closer and closer to the origin point, I feel that I will be caught off guard by what will happen next."

"What could possibly go wrong? Everyone out here is dangerous, but then again, so are the pair of you in your own way. Are you doubting your own ability to handle a truth, or physical combat against one of these people? The only one you should truly fear is your own uncle. That man's stupidity is downright illegal."

"I don't know…it's just a feeling."

"Like Zeff will take him away, again?"

"No," Law said carefully, thinking about it. "No, because he accepts this, just like you do. In fact, I stay the night there with him knowing about it."

"You admit to this?"

"Cora - !"

"And he's okay knowing that his grandson is being molested under his watch?"

"Cora - !"

Abandoning his project, Corazon wandered away from the balcony and back inside, practically weeping into his hands as minions looked over with some concern. Law just looked embarrassed.

"I don't know what to do, anymore! I thought I raised you properly, to have respect towards others! But instead, you choose to force your will onto an innocent young man and convince his grandfather that it's okay! I should've been lecturing Sanji on the dangers of men like you, not encouraging him to be polite and respectful! I don't know what is worse – you running off with these women when you were younger, or you forcing an innocent boy into your perverted clutches! Where did I go wrong with you? It was that damn cartoon you used to watch, a lot. The one with the mouse."

"Ugh, it wasn't."

"I'd always wished for you to be settled with a nice girl in a nice house with a white picket fence, a dog, and two kids, and working a normal job!"

Law crinkled his forehead. He'd heard this spiel before.

"Not that I'm against it," Corazon added. "I love Sanji. He was always very polite to us, and he always has something nice to say to me. I definitely welcome him into my home – I'm just kind of scandalized by the fact that my twenty-two year old son took up a romance with a seventeen year old boy. That's all."

"He was my best friend."

"He was your only friend, back then, he didn't have a choice."

"He chose me, Cora!"

Corazon pursed his lips, then decided that he was right. "True."

Law scowled at him.

"Look, fine. I can see that you're happy with him. But I want you to be careful. You're both still growing up. You both have different dreams. If one falls harder for the other, what's it going to do to you? The only one compromising between you two is Sanji, and what will happen if you take him away from following his dreams just to follow after you? You can't be selfish with this, Law."

Law was quiet for some time, and Corazon looked at him as he waited for a response.

Then he regretted what he said, looking at him. "Don't make any rash decisions. Don't leave him because you feel you're holding him back. I'm just saying, talk it out. Don't be like Doffy and make a decision for the both of you."

"What if I'm the only one that feels this way?"

"I can't say anything because, to be honest, I haven't seen you two together in this life. I've only seen you two separately. You both look pretty happy about each other, but I'd rather see it for myself. If I see you two together, then I can give you better advice."

"…Fine."

"I'm glad you're talking about it to me, though. Thank you. It's nice to hear that you care enough about this kid to feel that you're planning something for the future," Corazon said brightly, sitting down on a chaise lounge in front of a massive white wall, gesturing for the projector to activate.

"It's not that I'm planning for the future, I'm just…reliving that memory. And now that I'm getting closer to my goal, I'm wondering what to do after that."

"That's just something you'll have to wing. It's okay to be spontaneous, sometimes, just don't make it into a habit. Or you'll end up like me." Corazon then looked at him again, looking concerned. "Law, is this truly affection you feel for Sanji? Or guilt?"

"Guilt isn't there. He makes me happy."

"Like when you were kids?"

"It's a different sort of happiness."

"When you look at him, what do you truly think about him?"

Law thought about it for a moment. "How bright he is. Like being under the sun on a cold winter's day. I like that he's a terrible brat on one end of the mood spectrum, and a selfless schemer on the other end. I like that he can make me into an immature mess and an angry, senseless rage monster in minutes. I like that he makes me feel like a likable person because I most definitely am not to others. Oh, and all these physical things but I don't want to say because I'll give myself a nosebleed again."

Corazon tried not to make a big deal out of it, but he was currently biting on a throw pillow because those were such wonderful things a person could say about another, and it was coming from the mouth of someone that only had negative things to say about everything else.

"But I understand that I am too possessive to give up on something I like. I give him space to talk, but I don't allow him to make a decision because I feel mine are better for him."

"What's the point in controlling another person?"

"I just want him there with me all the time, and I know it's not possible."

"You can't force a person to be there. They need to feel that they want to be there. Otherwise, neither of you will be happy. He has his own mindset, he'll be there for you no matter what if he can help it. When you finally achieve your ultimate goal, don't overthink it. Don't overanalyze it. If you two are meant to be together for a long time, it'll happen. Sanji has always been very big on romance, so maybe, if it helps, you do something for that factor."

Law made a mental list of shonen ai novels to read and take notes on.

One of the minions found the remote, switching on the electronics available and one of Corazon's favorite shows began playing. Law rolled his eyes, and wandered off because he knew Corazon would be distracted while 'OITNB' was on.

"Doffy! You bastard, where'd you run off to?" Law then called, on the lookout for him. He found Doflamingo sitting in his room, eating a new batch of nachos and laughing at his tablet. He could hear the excited voice of Rapunzel rolling the grass, celebrating her newfound freedom.

"I'm watching porn! Don't come in here!" he warned Law, holding the tablet against his chest with a guilty look.

"Liar. Listen – "

"Are you guys done talking about that thing?"

"Yes. So – "

"Zeff isn't going to try and kill us again, is he? I can't go anywhere at this point. I am emotionally involved with this city, at this present moment. If I leave now, I will literally die."

"No."

"Okay. Shoot me."

"Krieg said he can outsell you. He's been bragging about how big of a control he has of the west side of the city. Instead of supplying White Rabbit, he'd rather supply untraceable guns to those asking about them in regards to Zeff stepping down, and other syndicates wanting to rise up. He mentioned that your selling points include sloppy paperwork that could lead law enforcement into the direction of the suspect."

"That old bastard! I knew it! How truthful is this information?" Doflamingo asked, tossing his tablet.

Law reached into his jacket pocket and withdrew a black book. He tossed it to him, and Doflamingo looked inside. With a growl and a curse, he rose up from the bed, shouting, "Cora! Get dressed! We're going for a midnight stroll!"

"I literally just sat down!"

Satisfied, Law turned to leave the room but Doflamingo whipped around and looked at him suspiciously. "This isn't one of your weird schemes, is it?"

"I've never, in my life, done something so sneaky and backhanded as to have you guys involved in any of my business."

"Well, whatever. This still makes me angry that Krieg intruded upon my venture. Cora! You better be dressed!" Doflamingo shouted, snatching his brother's robe off from Law's shoulders and tying it around his shoulders like a cape. "If not, it's a pits, tits, and ass sort of shower! You have six minutes! Seven, because I can't seem to find my other shoe…"

"Dressed for what?"

"Krieg's talking shit about us again!" Doflamingo answered, taking a selfie of himself. 'Going into battle', he wrote on his Instagram post. Then he looked at Law. "Why don't you come with us?"

"Because I can't stand being seen with you guys in public. I have this rep."

"You tripping. Everyone else would be delighted to hang with us."

"I've been 'hanging' with you guys since I was nine, so…"

"We're so much cooler now than we were then. Check out my Periscope account – I'm going to post our confrontation as soon as we get there."

"You're the reason why I avoid social media, Doffy. I'm out. Later."

Almost an hour later, Sanji caught sight of Law returning to the coffee shop, carrying a bag of books. He was sitting at a table with his tablet, Penguin and Zoro engaged in an arm wrestling match at the booth nearby. Bepo was helping Shachi pass out orders, the few customers inside watching the two men fight for domination.

"Welcome back," Sanji said to Law as he approached them, frowning at the two straining to win.

"I'm back. What's this?"

"Best four out of six."

"That's not – "

"They're not listening. We had quite an adventure, today," Sanji said, setting his tablet aside and leaving the table to go to him. "Listen – "

"Did you hear from Zeff, yet?"

"No, but I was wondering if you'd like to go down there ourselves," Sanji said, hearing Zoro's shout of victory after a huge bang.

"No, it's wiser to wait. She might be more willing to talk to him about certain things than she would with us. I, uh, actually would like to discuss something else," Law then said, gesturing at him to follow him to the back.

Apprehensive at his serious tone and expression, Sanji followed after him. He chewed on his bottom lip as Law took a seat at the small table nearby, and indicated that he sit there with him, patting his thigh. Sanji took a nervous perch there, relaxing only when the other man hugged him from the side.

"What is it?" he asked cautiously.

"Nothing. I just needed to sound serious in front of others so they won't see how big of a pussy I am in front of you."

"You're so closeted it's painful."

Law had to laugh because if the mighty syndicate heads knew that they were a couple, then he wasn't closeted at all.

"So, I talked to Zeff. You need to talk to me about that time," Sanji said, adjusting his seat to face him, leaning back with palms on his knees. "Why is this the first time I've heard of it?"

"You've no memory of it at all?"

"No. Nothing."

"I guess there's nothing to tell if Zeff said it all. One minute I was giving you these mints Doffy had, and when I looked back, you were frothing from the mouth. I couldn't even say anything. I couldn't even yell for Cora, who was sitting nearby, looking at your homework. It was only when you starting seizing when he finally noticed something was wrong. Doffy had adrenaline because he had some junkies relying on him for their fixes, and this sort of thing happened sometimes. Doffy was scared, but it was Cora that took you back to Zeff in that state."

Law looked off to the side for a few moments, then said, "I can't believe you don't remember that at all. For once, the three of us were the quietest we'd ever been."

"I only remember us being happy."

"When you found me the next day, you weren't feeling well, but you gave me pudding and made it sound like everything was fine and normal as you told me that Zeff was leaving the area. As a kid at that time, I was…in a state of shock. It wasn't until years later, after we met at the airport and…I found it important to get rid of this stuff."

"Is there anything else that you know of that I should know?" Sanji asked him quietly. "Because having it all come out now is not doing me any good."

"No…that was the only traumatic thing that happened between us. That's why I was so angry to know that you'd taken it. I'd almost lost my best friend, that day. It felt almost similar to losing my family. You were like a sibling to me."

"Everything worked out. It's different, today."

"It is. I'm sorry it felt like it was kept from you, but I never thought you'd forgotten it. I just thought you were instructed not to talk about it."

Sanji looked at his chest for a few moments, just thinking about it. He shook his head. "Nothing comes up. But at the same time, I don't remember my original family, either. I can't recall faces, voices, or even the time living there. I only have Zeff to rely on when it comes to that."

"Maybe because of that traumatic event, your brain just learned how to block these things and can do it when something terrible happens."

"Maybe. But I want you to tell me everything now, everything that you feel you should be hiding from me because it will come out later, and I want to know, now," Sanji said firmly, looking him in the eyes.

"I…promise I will if something comes up. But right now, I have nothing more. This wasn't anything I was hiding from you, it was something that I never knew you hadn't remembered. Of course, it probably didn't help that I never explained to you why I was doing this in the first place, but I was doing it to avenge my best friend. Childhood best friend. Because Bepo's my best friend, now."

"A bear?" Sanji repeated dully, frowning at him. "What about those two?"

"Don't tell them. It's a secret. I like when they compete for the role."

"You're a sadist."

"Anyway, I didn't tell you my mission in the first place because I didn't know how you'd take it. It's sort of weird when one dude admits to another dude that they're doing something big in their lives for their honor."

"Oh, Law, just admit, you were gay for me long before you admitted it to yourself," Sanji said with a sigh, reaching out to play with the collar of his shirt, before realizing that he was wearing a winter sweater over a button up shirt, and belted Dickies, scuffed Vans salt stained from the sidewalks outside. "What are you wearing?"

"You're so gay for noticing."

"Shut up!"

"Sanji, now that I'm close to my ultimate goal, I think that the next thing that's bothering me is what to do after," Law said, reaching out to pull him close, hands on safe zones. He looked down between them, noticing the way Sanji's legs were bent at the knee, the top of his shoes against the floor so that he could fit atop of his lap. He looked to the side, breathing in a slow and controlled manner, fisting the material of Sanji's jacket so that he wouldn't be tempted to molest the teen.

"I'm aware that you're going through some sort of a struggle right now, I'm just not sure what sort," Sanji observed, looking at him with a frown.

Law stood awkwardly, and plopped him atop of the table to walk away. "We're in a public setting, I can't just be grabby."

"Like that's ever stopped you before, but I'm proud of you for making such progress!" Sanji said, clapping for him.

"80's pop," Law said suddenly, turning to look at him. Sanji looked at him with bewilderment. "I like 80's and early 90's music. We all do. So much that we have an official rule – if we hear something from the 80's or 90's, depending on whose turn it is, we have to dance our way through the entire song, no matter where the situation is."

"Random."

"You asked about music. That's what I like."

Sanji stared at him with horror. "One minute you're so fucking cool, then the next, you're not."

"Anyway, after I succeed with my mission here, I don't know what will happen."

"You'll go back to school and finish getting that degree," Sanji said simply, swinging one leg as he leaned forward. Law looked at him again.

"You wouldn't want me staying here with you?"

"No. You have a goal. I have a goal. These things are important to us, right?"

"But I can always transfer here – "

"Law, I'm pretty sure with how brilliantly nerdy you are, you're very close to getting that degree, yes? And those two, they got plans too, right? What's the point of abandoning all that work when you've gotten so far with it just because some underage floozy came along?" Sanji asked. "If you decide that this thing between us will continue, then it'll continue, but we'll do it responsibly."

"They have culinary colleges over there, too, you know."

"When the time comes, I will definitely look into it. But I don't want you giving anything up for me when it comes to responsibilities and all that. After this semester ends, you'll go back, and I'll finish high school, and afterward, we'll both work hard for our goals and be successful together. That's if you continue to let me be around," Sanji added self consciously, catching himself from expanding too much of a future he tried not to dream of. "Even if we outgrow each other, I still want us to experience every moment we have to make beautiful memories together and be someone both of us can look affectionately upon."

"But I have different plans from yours," Law said, walking back to him, forcing his legs apart so he could stand between them. "I told you you're going to work for me. You're my slave, remember?"

"And I already told you, it depends on what my wife decides for us."

Law showed him the ring, Sanji grinning widely at him. "Your wife had already decided that you're going to work for her for the rest of your life."

"Ha ha! You're so gay."

"And you're the homo that's leaning in to kiss me," Law said, leaning in close enough to feel Sanji's breath on his face, but not close enough for their lips to touch.

"You're the homo for making me want to kiss you," Sanji said, leaning up just so that their hair intermingled, foreheads bumping.

"You're the very definition of gay," Law murmured, briefly touching his lips with his just by speaking.

"Bright? Happy? Carefree?" Sanji asked, feeling the wisp of his eyebrows against his skin, the flutter of his lashes against his cheek.

"Every bit of it."

"Both of you homos need to stop what you're doing and help me!" Shachi snapped at both of them from the doorway, red faced and holding a tray full of hot drinks.

"Shachi needs a bell for his shoes," Law decided, turning away from Sanji suddenly, the teen nearly falling forward with the loss of his form in front of him.

"Get away from me!"

Sanji hopped off the table to follow, feeling relieved that they had such this talk. He felt loads better about his earlier doubts, but at the same time, still troubled in not remembering a thing. He walked out to where Penguin and Zoro were still arm wrestling, the small crowd around them interested in the spectacle. When Zoro slammed Penguin's hand to the table, both of them took a breather.

"Five!" Zoro declared, red-faced and sweaty. "I win!"

Penguin panted for a moment as Sanji retrieved his tablet, opening it up to see if anything had changed on Instagram. When he saw Doflamingo's post about going into battle, he logged onto his Periscope account and saw that the man was in the midst of fighting Don Krieg and his minions out in the front of a nearby theater. He giggled because Doffy commented on his own moves and observations of Krieg's, and the man really didn't take the battle seriously at all. Especially since he was wearing his Superman pajamas, a robe tied around his shoulders. When he panned to Corazon, the man looked embarrassed for them both.

Penguin adjusted his seated position, and held up his other hand. "That was my weak arm."

Zoro scowled, but he propped up that hand, and both of them went at it again.

Later on, when Zeff arrived home, Sanji was on him immediately.

"For something as old as she is, she knew too much," Zeff complained, looking flustered as he brushed himself off, hanging up his jacket and his scarf. "But she is no one I recognize. Maybe she is just a worldly traveler, a scholar or some sort. She was definitely growing marijuana in the back. When I'd asked about this book, she only said that she knew it was a formula, but it wasn't something she was familiar with when it comes to the White Rabbit."

"Do you believe her?" Sanji asked, following him to the living room.

"Quite honestly, I do," Zeff said. He switched to their language, frowning up at him as he perched on the back of the chair to loom over him. Sanji had taken a shower when he got home, changing into his pajamas with his school cardigan on over a plain tee. "Where were you all day? Krieg had a battle of some kind with Crocodile and Doflamingo."

"Krieg and Crocodile approached me and the others while we were out eating. They wanted to find Law. Crocodile wanted to know where I got the white rabbit I'd used the night he attacked. I then had them attack each other because Krieg wanted to find Law."

" 'Attack each other'?" Zeff repeated.

"I used Crocodile's short temper to cause Krieg to lash out at him. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't be home, now," Sanji said with a snicker. "I didn't even have to lay a hand on any of them."

"Impressive. And this thing with Doflamingo?"

"I don't know about that."

"Well, somebody offended somebody. Maybe it was over his nephew's protection?"

"He wouldn't allow that to happen."

"You'd be surprised, eggplant, what that family does for each other when they think they're not being obvious about it," Zeff finished, taking off his shoe. Sanji had to agree with that one. "It's been a long day."

"Old man, I asked Law about that day. I wish you guys would just come out and talk to me about these things. I don't want anything else hidden from me from this point on. When it comes out, it comes out because I accidently run into it. Let's keep things out in the open."

"Sanji, all my secrets have spilled out. This particular one, I had no idea you'd lost your memory over. I thought you knew."

"I didn't."

Zeff grumbled as he rubbed his feet, Sanji hugging him from behind. He pushed him away. "Why are you so clingy?"

"I'm happy."

"You are, I've noticed. You're not being a hormonal shit like you were."

"I think I'm starting to calm down," Sanji admitted. "I've been in more good moods than bad."

"I was tempted to start giving you estrogen pills to offset that temper."

"Shut up!"

"Where's that bastard?"

"Closing up shop."

"I'm assuming he'll be by, tonight."

"Yes. Um, we had a talk, tonight. About what we'll be doing afterward. He'll go back to school, him and the others. He's close to getting his degree."

"In what?" Zeff asked, surprised.

"I'm not sure. But they're in med school. He said they met in some sort of Emergency Medicine class. He's always been a very intelligent kid, old man."

"I'd always assumed he was a hustler living in a trash heap somewhere – "

"You're so mean!"

"So what does this mean? You're not thinking of going to college where he is, are you? You have plans to move to San Francisco!"

"There's still time to think about it," Sanji admitted quietly, looking at his jaggedly cut nails.

"You had better think about it! Don't make any rash decisions all because you suddenly know what a dick is for! This will pass!"

"OH MY GOD."

"I don't want you giving up on any of your dreams that managed to sweet talk you away from your responsibilities!" Zeff snapped at him. "You'll do well to follow through with what you intended on doing before you start making decisions to include somebody in them! And if he's so goddamn smart, he'll let you go so you can reach your goal. In fact, make him wait on you!"

"When the time comes, I'm sure if this was meant to be, it'll work out the way it's supposed to," Sanji mumbled. "I admit, I always wanted a traditional marriage with a big house, and a white picket fence and kids – but if it looks like it's not going to be, then I can adjust it. Who knows, old man? The future is bright."

"Make smart choices," Zeff said firmly. "Don't make choices based off what you think is love – you're young, you've still got a ways to go. Don't pin yourself down with one man that doesn't even know what it is himself. Gain some experience, first. Live!"

"Okay, okay, stop lecturing me."

"I just don't want you stuck here in this world, doing worthless things when you're capable of so much more. And if that shithead cares about you, he'll understand. But for now, you're seventeen! You know shit about love and life! Don't go dedicating yourself right now to impossible standards, because you will be disappointed!"

"Okay!"

Zeff rose from the chair. "I'm going to bed. I'm sorry, I had plans for us, today, but because of the situation, I wasn't able to leave in time. We'll do them tomorrow. And if possible, that piece of shit can come with us."

"Okay!" Sanji said happily. "Good night!"

"Good night."

When he heard the door to his room close, Sanji lifted off the chair. He went into the kitchen, and started pulling out some bowls, and all the ingredients for a cake. He had remembered Cora's request, and now that they were back in town, he figured he'd make Doflamingo's cake for him.

Later on, Law appeared with a tired expression and half of his winter sweater clinging to his frame. Sanji dropped his fondue with a startled look.

"What happened to you?" he asked incredulously, wiping his hands on a towel and hurrying out from the kitchen to see that he was covered in battle debris.

"Ambush at the shop. Crocodile. He was pissed that he couldn't find Dr. Hogback. Did you see him, today? He suggested that he'd gotten the information from you."

Sanji told him a brief version of events, finishing up with the two layer cake. Law walked over to investigate, reaching for a bowl that Sanji snatched back, still using the frosting to decorate.

"Dr. Hogback might be one of the big syndicate heads, but he's a total weirdo, too," Law said. "It was hard pinning him down to one place. Well, whatever, let Crocodile chase him down. Not like that business matters to me. What is this?"

"Cora asked that I make Doffy a cake, apologizing for the things he did while playing Mario Kart."

"I was supposed to tell you something like that hours ago, but it slipped my mind."

"Did not. You just didn't want me making anything for him."

"You know me so well – are you wearing an apron?"

"Yes," Sanji said, looking at him oddly. "Yes, I usually wear this to protect my clothes."

Law removed the rest of his sweater, then took off his shoes, dumping sand into the trash can nearby. Sanji frowned down at the mess he made. Without saying anything, Law then walked off and Sanji stared after him with confusion, his sudden silence very odd. Moments later he heard the man sniffling on his way to the bathroom, and he wondered if he should be concerned. He figured he'd give him some space, and continued working on the cake. Then he DM'd Corazon through Instagram and waited for his response.

They made plans to meet up in the morning, and Sanji didn't finish labeling the cake because he didn't want Zeff's opinion on the matter. He cleaned up his mess, put the cake into the fridge, and winced at the time on the stove. By the time Law came back, he'd removed his apron and was ready for bed.

"Tomorrow's Monday!" he announced, Law frowning down at him and then looking beyond him. "What?"

"Where's your apron?"

"In the kitchen. why are you so obsessed with it?"

"I want to see something. Go get it."

Sanji gave him an odd look but he didn't get the one he'd been using – he pulled out a clean one from the hall closet, flapping the material to hold it up against him. "This is one I bought from our vacation to San Francisco one year. Isn't it cute? Look at the panda, here!"

Law sniffed again, then walked away, Sanji looking after him with a confused look. He re-folded the material and walked to his room, removing his slippers and his cardigan. He looked over at Law with concern as the man came back, shutting the door behind him.

"This is what we're going to do, today," he said, shoving a ball of tissue into his pants pocket. "You're going to wear that thing to bed."

"What - ? no. How stupid. It doesn't cover anything up. You're not trying to make me into a girl again, are you?"

"The only time I thought you were a girl was when we first met. This is different. This is what adults do to have fun. And since you're almost there, you'll participate in my whims."

"Is that why you kept walking away? You're getting nosebleeds? Ha ha! Sick! How can you get aroused by something like that?" Sanji asked curiously, looking at his apron. It was just protective material. He didn't understand why Law looked at him and it the way that he did, but Sanji figured he'd go along with it. "Okay, turn around. You're staring with a creepy look to your face."

Once he set his pajamas aside and tied the apron around his waist, Sanji snickered. He looked down at himself, then tried to cover his backside, the sensation of being exposed too embarrassing to take seriously.

"Hey, are you going to try and convince me to wear a wig and stuff later on?" he asked, stepping into Law's line of vision. The man lowered his phone and just stared at him, mouth dropping open. Sanji giggled, feeling much too silly. He did a stiff curtsy, then fluffed out his hair and did a twirl, laughing. "How much of a psychopath do you have to be to find this hot in any waaaa-!"

He automatically closed his knees and pulled down the front flap of the apron as Law tossed him on the bed, looming over him. He couldn't help but giggle again, looking up at his intense expression, like he didn't know where to start first.

"Does this really turn you on? You're such a weirdo," Sanji said, lowering his knees to one side, but finding that it ended up exposing his naked ass too much, so he lowered them together to lay flat. "I don't know how to lay in this. I feel this is unsanitary."

"Words fail me," was all Law said, leaning down to kiss his exposed shoulder, dragging the strap down one arm with careful action. Sanji tried not to giggle, but he couldn't take the situation seriously. He just kept his hands on the material to keep it from exposing his lower half, and let the man do what he wanted with the top half of him. He watched Law's face as he kissed his way past the straps and shifted the chest bib aside to find a nipple. He lavished it with attention until Sanji found himself releasing his grip on the material and reached for his shoulders.

"I don't get it," Sanji said with a sigh, feeling his bigger hands on his exposed sides, fingers clutching briefly at his ribs before moving down his waist. Then he started to get self conscious as he felt the material in front being bunched and pushed to the side, and before he knew it, Law's mouth was on a part of him that hadn't been there, before. Everything caught in his throat, eyes widening. Kisses on the length of his stiffening dick then turned into a warm, wet envelopment, and a strange sound left him so suddenly that he nearly popped himself in the face as he drew his hands up to stop anymore sounds from happening. He couldn't see what was happening, but he felt every part of it. From the warm sucking on the length of his cock to the delicate licking and kissing of the head, Sanji felt his body react entirely on its own as his mind crumbled with wordless pleasure. He stuffed the chest bib of the apron between his teeth, feeling Law's fingers grip his hips to keep them from moving. He drew his knee back up, his other leg pinned underneath the other man's body, arching his back.

When Law's mouth left him, his fingers wrapping around his dick, Sanji made a whining noise that sounded weird to him. He looked up at him to see why he'd stopped, watching as Law wiped his mouth and looked down at him with some hungry action. Sanji reached for him, pulling him down by his shirt to kiss him. He tasted the unfamiliar smell of his own dick, the salty flavor of his pre-come. His fingers clenched into his shirt tightly, their tongues moving against each other. When he felt the first finger enter him, he uttered a low noise, the sound ate up by Law's mouth as the man shifted over him. He reached around Sanji's waist, reaching behind him to find one naked cheek, squeezing lightly as he dropped kisses over his exposed sides, moving back down to his hip.

Still pushing his finger in and out of his body, Law moved back down to Sanji's dick, and started licking from the base, before moving back to take it all in. He heard Sanji's moan, felt his body clamp down on his finger. He absolutely enjoyed the way Sanji responded to him, moving restlessly. He used the teen's movement and verbal cues to continue doing what he was doing, but when his mouth grew tired, he shifted away. He started adding another finger, breathing deeply, because he was so turned on by Sanji's responses that all he wanted to do was bury his own hard cock deep into his ass. He wanted to fuck the boy into the mattress, wearing that apron, but he held himself back. He had to respect the teen's wish to hold off until he was absolutely ready.

Sanji pushed against his fingers, his own hands up behind his head, gripping the sheets there. He pushed and pulled himself against Law's fingers, his breathing growing heavy. Leaning over him once more, Law lowered his mouth to his dick and sucked it in, trying not to let it gag him as he took it in too deep. He tried to remember how he liked having it done to him, so he bobbed his head a few times, using his other hand to follow the movement.

"Pull out, pull it out - !" was the only warning Sanji gave him before he came, Law removing his fingers and his mouth from him as the teen stiffened up with a low cry. His body hadn't finished shaking when Law forced him to turn over, unzipping his pants and pulling out his own hard cock. Reaching around Sanji, he palmed the teen's softening member to gather up all the ejaculate there, using it to lather his own. Then he stroked himself to completion, just staring at the exposed backside, apron ties dangling over his hips. He watched his cum drop over his ass, drip slowly over one long thigh. It made him grin to see his name on Sanji's back, carefully formed hickies guaranteeing at least a few day's worth of existence.

Satisfied to some degree, he laid over the teen, who adjusted awkwardly against him, completely spent.

"You're such a perv, but that was amazing," he heard Sanji say into the bed. "I get to do it to you, next."

"I'm not wearing that thing, just so you know."

"No…in the future, though, when you have a uniform of your own, you'll wear that and I'll get to ravish you," Sanji promised. "Those work uniforms you have now are so unsexy."

"That's the point."

Sanji turned to face him, pulling the ties off from around his waist. He used it to wipe them with, then tossed it onto the floor next to the bed. Completely naked, he pushed Law over on to his back. "I want to try this, too," he said stubbornly, lowering his mouth to Law's softening dick. Law just watched him kiss it, his tongue snaking out to lick the length of it, before pulling into his mouth – he hummed with pleasure as he felt Sanji's tongue taste from the bottom before carefully releasing it.

"Wake me up like that, and I swear I'd do anything you wanted for the day," Law promised him.

"That's it, you said it, now you have to do it," Sanji said happily, pulling off his pants and underwear before drawing the blankets up over them. He undid the buttons of his shirt and then hugged him tightly, pushing the material aside so that their naked flesh could touch. He uttered a content sigh as Law hugged him tightly, kissing his hair before making his way down to his mouth. When they finally kissed, it felt like it had been ages since they last did, and Sanji fell asleep with a happy smile.

The next morning, Sanji held onto his promise. He woke the man up by doing what had been done to him, and it was definitely a learning experience. He kissed, licked, and explored and found it difficult to hold his mouth open wide for so long, but as he listened to Law's soft moans and saw his pleased expression, Sanji knew he was doing okay for his first time. When it came time for Law to come – Sanji was so relieved, his jaw hurt so bad – he used both hands to hold his dick in place so he could try and swallow it. He decided he needed more practice once he realized the taste and texture of cum, and tried not to throw up, much to Law's amusement.

But promises were made so later on, Law was grumbling as Sanji carried the cake to the front steps of the house the Donquixote brothers lived. The minions there gave them cautious looks but once Sanji set the cake down on the kitchen counter, Corazon was happy to see them both together.

"It's so pretty!" he exclaimed, looking at the print on top. "It looks professionally done!"

"Did you like the wording?" Sanji asked him, grinning as Law rummaged in the fridge for something to eat as Corazon worked himself up with an excited laugh.

"I do! It's so appropriate!"

"What's going on in here? Why are there so many voices?" Doflamingo asked crankily, walking in with his phone in hand. "Girly boy! Law! This is unusual. I hope it's not bad news…my delicate condition can't take anything of the sort at this point in time."

"It's Sanji, dork."

"He made you a cake! It's to apologize for my actions," Corazon said, ushering him over. Doflamingo looked over it with approval, looking cheered.

"It's lemon flavored!" he exclaimed. Then he removed his glasses to look over the wording on top. " 'I'm Sorry For The Things I've Done Playing Mario Kart.' Aw, Cora, you're so sweet. I forgive you. My hand still works, which means I can still mast –"

"AH!" Corazon screamed so they couldn't hear the rest of that sentence, but it was already obvious what had been nearly said.

"Lemon flavored on the outside, with strawberries in the center," Sanji said, looking for a knife. He started looking through the drawers and cabinets for anything resembling a knife, but by the time he settled on a serrated bread knife, he turned around and saw that the brothers were already eating it with their hands and forks they scooped up from the sink. "Animals."

"Mmf. What are you guys up to, today?" Corazon asked them, turning to look at them, frosting smeared into his mouth. Doflamingo looked the same way.

"Zeff has some plans for us, so after we leave here, we're going to meet him down the road," Sanji said brightly, Doflamingo wincing and turning away.

"Law?" Corazon asked, looking over at his son. "You'll be with them, today? Really?"

"I…promised. Have to follow through," Law said reluctantly.

"Your shop will be okay without you?" Corazon asked as Sanji said something to Doflamingo that had him whirling in place. Sanji started laughing, phone out. So Corazon had to speak up with annoyance, handful of cake in one hand.

"I've abandoned it for now. Crocodile was throwing a fit last night. Serious clean up is needed."

"I'll send a clean up crew! It'll be fine! Have those two take the day off as well, I'm sure they're tired from all this excitement!"

"I can hire my own clean up crew," Law said stubbornly over Sanji's laughter, speaking up to be heard. "In fact, I'm on it right now."

"I'm just trying to help. You're so stubborn," Corazon said with a sigh, jerking out of Doflamingo's way with a growl. "Look, what was he throwing a fit about, anyway?"

Law used a knee to nudge Sanji in the other direction as Sanji recorded Doflamingo doing something out of their line of vision. Their combined laughter and repeated phasing was starting to get on his nerves. When they both ran out of the kitchen, Corazon cut himself off to yell, "Stop acting like a damn child! You're forty!"

"We had a talk about this. Everyone's in an uproar about Zeff leaving his position of power. So they're getting antsy in preparation for it. Crocodile wanted to know whose White Rabbit Sanji used to against him."

"Whose?"

"Dr. Hogback."

"That guy's in Johannesburg, right now. Vacationing with some celebrities on a Hunger Relief tour through Africa."

Law sneered at the concept, Corazon scoffing as well. Venturing up to the ruined cake, Law picked at the pieces that didn't have finger indentations in them. He tasted it, then felt annoyed. He ended up ripping off a piece from the bottom and eating it from his hand like the other two had.

Sanji ran back into the kitchen, still chuckling away. When he saw what Law was doing, he gave him a Look.

"What's Crocodile want with that, anyway?" Corazon complained. "I thought he was through with this mess."

"Krieg has been causing him problems as well," Law said, looking at Sanji cautiously as the teen ventured to him, looking at the handful of cake in his grasp. "They're all very nervous about who will be climbing over them in their gain for power. It's all a mess."

"Just as long as we make sales, Doffy isn't worried about all that," Corazon said with a sigh, licking his palm clean. Sanji wondered if these people were capable of plates and utensils. But all he'd seen in the cupboards were random non-kitchen items. "Sanji, what is Zeff's plans for retirement?"

"The restaurant," Sanji answered. "That's all he said. Everyone, smile!"

Law ducked out of the picture, but Corazon smiled brightly with his cake in hand. Then Sanji hurried out of the kitchen. Both of them ate their cake in silence, then washed their hands in the sink. When Sanji came back, he grinned at Corazon brightly, Corazon returning the smile with an equally blinding expression. Law covered his eyes.

"Cora, take a picture of us," Sanji then said, handing him his phone. "I was just looking through my albums and there is none of just two of us."

"I don't want to take a picture," Law complained. Once Corazon figured out the correct app to use, Sanji was saying something to Law that made him automatically obedient. When he caught them within the camera's sight, both of them were smiling happily in each other's arms, and it almost made Corazon cry because he hadn't seen his son smile like that since they were both kids.

: :

Later on, after a drive out to the country with Zeff, who planned on opening a bed and bath there for the summer season and wanted Sanji's opinion on it, Law went back to the coffee shop to oversee the cleaners, and Sanji went with him. The place had been decimated.

"That man just doesn't care, does it?" Sanji asked sadly.

"It's insured. It'll be fine. We should re-open in another week," Law said confidently. "But in that amount of time, I should have my answer."

Sanji sat atop of the counter near where the register had been, and looked through the pictures of the day. He'd posted his edited video of his and Doflamingo's version of 'Damn, Doffy', and it had already received too many hits for him to examine individually. With his account and Doflamingo's tagged presence, his followers had expanded to over hundreds more. He laughed at the minute video, Law shaking his head as the sounds of 'Damn, Doffy' made sense when he and Corazon were talking in the kitchen hours ago.

Then Sanji came across their picture, and his pleased grin made Law stare at him with awe.

"Aw, babe, we're so cute together," Sanji said, admiring the picture with delight. "You're the perfect height, and we're so different, and you're so gorgeous and handsome and - ! I just love this picture. Can I post it to my accounts, now?"

" 'Babe'?"

"Look at us!" Sanji demanded, showing him the photo. Law had to admit, it was a nice picture. He really liked the way Sanji was smiling, hugging him so tightly that there really was no space between them. They did look pretty happy together. In a few more years, Sanji would be nearly as tall as him, his limbs would fill out properly, and Law was pretty sure he'd still be smiling in this way, hugging him tightly against him. It gave him some hope in that he would see this picture again in a different setting.

"I'm sending it to you. I better see it on your wallpaper, too."

"And if you don't?"

"Then we'll stay virgins forever."

"Oh my. Technically - "

"Ass virgins forever."

"Fine."

Sanji looked at him, a wistful expression on his face. "Come here. I want to kiss you."

"at least you're upfront about it," Law decided, leaning up to him and kissing him. Sanji wrapped his arms around his neck and shoulders, curling his legs around his waist.

"Do you like me?" Sanji asked him.

"Obviously."

"How much?"

"A lot. Enough to take this entire thing slowly. To take you home to daddy."

Sanji snickered, kissing him again. "I like you, too. A lot."

"Just how much?"

"More than this much," he said, hands out at his sides. Then he cradled his face between his hands, saying , "Thank you for today. I had such a good time with you. You and Zeff didn't kill each other, you were with me at Doffy and Cora's, and now we're going to go home together and just be together all over again. I like this."

"I guess I like it, too."

"Tell me how much you like me," Sanji then demanded, kissing him repeatedly, then licking his mouth open so he could venture inside.

One of the cleaners cleared his throat noisily and Sanji pulled away with an embarrassed laugh, Law just grinning at him, unable to take his eyes off of him at that moment. With all the combination of feelings and their future set, there was something more than just 'like' between them. It hung heavily around them, it was in the air that they shared. It was definitely in the way Sanji looked at him, and the way Law found himself looking at him.

"I don't like you at all," he said finally, Sanji frowning at him. But then he read the reality of the emotion behind the statement, the heavy expectation of words that hadn't left him yet, and he felt his face soften immensely. He felt his cheeks flush, and all coherent thought left him. He could only smile back, utterly delighted.

"I don't like you, either," he said back, kissing him again.

An hour later, Sanji griped about the incoming cold, a bag of groceries in one hand. Zeff was asking him when he'd be home, and he looked at the complex with a judging eye.

"Two minutes!" he finally answered, Zeff hanging up with a 'hurry up!'.

Slipping his phone into his pocket, Sanji cut through the parking lot. He wondered how he should tell Law that he was ready to 'go all the way', but he didn't want to do it with Zeff around. He figured what better way to tell a guy he loved him by giving him ass for the occasion?

He had just neared the steps to the condo when he heard his name. He paused in mid-step and looked back in the direction it was called from. Then he smiled, turning away from the condo.

"Hi! What are you doing out so late?" he asked, wandering over.

When Law finally came back, Zeff was sitting on the couch with a pensive expression to his face. He looked at the other man with an examining expression.

"Where's Sanji?" he asked as Law looked at him with a frown.

"He left twenty minutes ago because he wanted to stop at the store, first," Law said. "He's not back, yet?"

"He said it'd take him two minutes to get here. That was nearly ten minutes ago."

"Then he's probably outside talking to somebody," Law said.

"I went looking for him. I thought maybe he was still with you."

'No. I'll go look again. Don't panic. He gets distracted, sometimes," Law said, leaving the condo through the front door, trying not to acknowledge the heavy feeling in his chest because Zeff looked so tense. He wandered out the front of the condo, then around the area. He went through the entire complex, and went through the parking lot. He came across a recyclable bag sitting near one of the visitor parking areas. He hurried towards it, then looked inside, seeing that it had a receipt on top and some packaged meats, some sauce. Sanji's phone was sitting on top. It was still warm, the cold of the night not affecting it, nor the cold of the meats it had been sitting atop of. He picked that up and looked around, trying not to think the worst.

Then he looked at the cars coming in and out of the complex, and formed a Room big enough to cover the entire area. He teleported from one vehicle to another, looking inside, the occupants startled out of their mind as he appeared over their roofs or hoods, and none of them had no idea who he was talking about when he showed them Sanji's picture of them.

Then he returned to the apartment to tell Zeff what had happened, and Zeff got onto his phone immediately.

Law tried not to panic. Sanji could take care of himself. And if not, he and Zeff and their combined powers would find him. They just had to seek out the suspects. Sanji would be home soon, and they could continue where they left off.

: :

Two years later, Law was still telling himself that.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/n: thank you for all your reviews! So sorry I couldn't answer all individually as I got this up in record time - next chappie coming soon**

 **Chapter Seventeen:**

 **Go Ask Alice**

The room was crowded with angry voices and rising tension, and it appeared no one had their shit together to speak fairly and coherently. All around the table were one syndicate head and their right hand – around them were a fair number of their minions, all of them on alert and ready to move if their employers gave the signal. The massive conference room had been so big once, when everyone was following rules. Now it was too small and cramped and the only exits were blocked by minions with no where to go.

Ever since Zeff retired from his position as an enforcer, those wanting power climbed over each other in an effort to stand at the top. The result had been too many groups wanting too much power and everyone not agreeing to work together in any way. These meetings, which had been a formal requirement in the past to update each other on their actions and future intentions, were now only a place to judge each other and measure their power and control.

Eustass Kid watched the guys closest to him haggle over parking spots and respect, Killer practically in his lap as Apoo Scratchman and Bonney Jewelry fought over the perfect line of vision to see the older members of the syndicates down the length of the table. When he'd finally obtained power over his own group, Kid had been excited at the responsibilities and power that came with it. But then weeks into his position, he realized what a joke it had been. He felt they were mocked by the older members for having nothing under their belts when it came to power. He felt like a literal kid struggling for attention from the other ones that had everything he wanted.

He looked across the table at Crocodile and Daz Bones, Krieg and Gin, Dr Hogback and Absalom, Arlong and Hatchi, X-Drake and Ashley, and Doflamingo and Corazon. They were the original syndicate families that inspired the other groups, and they looked tired of everyone's shit. Crocodile often looked into the distance –probably wishing for the Good Ole Days – while Doflamingo played on his phone, Corazon frowning at his Vita, Krieg snarling at any of the younger members for touching his boots under the table, Arlong trying to eat Hatchi if Hatchi stepped out of line, and Hogback soothing celebrities on a wireless headset while Absalom picked at his fingernails. Drake just held his head and Ashley played with his handlebar mustache with a frown.

Kid had looked up at these guys. Now that he was seated across from them, he felt cheated out of a dream.

"Are we coming to order, or not?" Krieg snapped, hitting the table with one steel fist. The other groups quieted down, except for Corazon, the cheerful tones of Plants vs. Zombies causing many foreheads to crinkle. "We came together for a reason! What was that reason?"

"The Strawhats?" Apoo offered. "They're causing trouble."

"Who are they again?" Crocodile asked, sneering around a cigar.

"The ones that keep kicking your ass across town, old man," Bonney snapped at him, stuffing a sandwich into her mouth, crumbs falling over her chest. Her pink hair was styled into a high faux Mohawk, her tight namebrand clothes showing off curves and long legs. "Hey! I'm sick of those brats! Let's do something about it!"

"Just give them what they're looking for, for Christ sake!" Drake complained. "I am so tired of waking up with that Strawhat brat's face sitting across from me in bed, asking the same damn questions!"

"At least he's nice enough to approach you in bed – he stares at me from behind the goddamn shower curtain!" Arlong snapped, shivering slightly.

"Who's the 'Strawhats'?" Kid asked, scrunching his face. His red hair was slicked back, sunglasses perched high up on his forehead – his stylish suit was offset by his bright green and yellow leather duster, black lipstick and rimmed eyes standing out against his pale skin. When he drummed his black fingernails against the table, Bonney glared at him, tapping her own sharp nails to remind him that such noises were annoying.

"Group of non-members," Killer told him. He was wearing a similar getup to his, only in blue. "They regularly go around and rough up every syndicate head looking for answers. They lost something."

"Someone," Apoo corrected.

"It wasn't even our damn fault in the first place!" Krieg snapped. "None of us here even touched Zeff's kid! Why are we still being blamed for it? Look for his bones in the fucking harbor!"

"When we stopped producing the White Rabbit, I swear, everyone went to shit," Arlong muttered. "What is our motivation, now? Keeping those shitheads in line. Your petty shit on the streets makes the rest of us look bad! You're nothing but bullies wearing expensive clothes."

"The White Rabbit was nothing but a chemical motivator to fight better, and nowadays, people don't need that, anymore! It's their own abilities that get them places!" Bonney yelled at him, withdrawing a chicken drumstick from her bra, much to the disgust of the men at the table. "If we had that in production now, what are we going to do with it? Sell it to kids that want to take our place? Hell no!"

"I didn't miss tonight's season premiere of Do You Think You Can Dance? just to complain about Strawhat," Doflamingo said, Corazon frowning at his screen. "Are we doing business, or not? We've got, literally, ten minutes to get out of this room and go home to make the first dance."

"Just because Strawhat didn't bother you - !"

"Strawhat bothers everybody! That little brat has interrupted me during some of my most private of me times! I can't use a public restroom anymore because of him! I am now pee-shy."

"Too much information!" Bonney hollered.

"Eight minutes!"

"Why are we here?" Crocodile complained. "Who the hell called this meeting in the first place?"

All of them looked at each other with apprehension, confusion lining their faces. Kid shrugged at Apoo, Bonney picking at her teeth, Corazon lowering his Vita to look at Doflamingo, Doflamingo looking at Crocodile with concern, Arlong looking over at Drake. When nobody said anything, the silence was heavy.

"I did."

All of them looked at the center of the table with surprise, seeing the man standing there with a frown at all of them. Most of the older syndicate heads reacted with growls and curses, while the younger ones looked at him with mystified action, not sure who he was. With the long black jacket covering most of him, the insignia of the Happy Virus on the corner, he wasn't part of the street groups or the syndicate groups that they were familiar with. For him to appear alone when all of them were capable of performing serious feats of power was ballsy enough to have Kid interested.

"LAW!" Doflamingo shouted, rising from his chair. "You bastard! Who said you could come back here and cause trouble, again? All of us told you that it wasn't our fault!"

"You little shit, I already told you I had nothing to do with it!" Crocodile snapped, sand lifting around him.

"I was out of town!" Dr Hogback cried.

"If I did it, I would've bragged about it to anybody that listened!" Krieg growled, Gin sinking into a chair behind him with a scowl.

"I wish I did it just so we can stop talking about it!" Drake growled.

"Did what?" Kid asked Killer with confusion. "Who's this guy?"

"All of you have one thing in common with each other," Law said, pacing the middle of the table, sword over one shoulder as he looked each of them in the eye. Except for Corazon, who was still frowning at his Vita. Two years had made him into a bitter man with too many sleepless nights, with eyes that had hardened with frustration and defeat. But he was bigger, angrier and less talkative than he had been before. The last two years searching and making terribly difficult decisions had been some of the worst so far, and it looked like they'd never find Sanji anytime before the third year mark. Three years without any clue to his whereabouts, and he was for certain they'd only find the remains. He'd prepared himself for that with such bitterness and regret that he made it impossible for anybody to come close to him.

"You're all members in a club paying too much for exclusive membership rights, for the prettiest membership jacket, just to say you're in a club. None of you have done anything spectacular – you're a joke."

"Watch what you say, brat!" Arlong snarled. "Even if we aren't selling White Rabbit, the other items of profit are doing well!"

"Selling guns to kids? Encouraging prostitution? Designer meth? Transporting opiates through car dealerships to evade detection from law enforcement? What happened to battles of honor between syndicates and fighters? Besides the Strawhats, none of you lazy bastards have done much of anything other than sit back in your chairs and cry over the good ole days."

"I just want to say, whoever's doing the prostituting, you're a piece of shit," Doflamingo said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"The women I recruit are never alone, never in danger, and they sure as hell are in control of their own destinies!" Bonney snapped, pulling a granola bar from her bra. "They help run the streets with me!"

"You're a sick, twisted piece of shit! What happened to feminism?"

"It's alive and well and we're good at making our own goddamn choices! If we want to have sex with men for money, we damn well will!"

"Who's doing the opiate thing?" Drake asked curiously. "Through a car dealership?"

"It's real easy to do," Apoo shrugged. "You get a guy whose a friend of a guy who's a roommate of a brother and boom! You've got an easy way to transport these things through a place that guarantees state wide transportation deadlines."

"Kids are scared on the streets! If you sell them one traceable bullet, they have to think hard about making that decision to kill!" Kid exclaimed. "So far, only twenty made the final decision to shoot, and all of them caught!"

"You're such a pussy," Bonney laughed.

"That's so wrong," Arlong muttered. "Even I had class."

"It's not designer meth," Dr Hogback muttered, drumming his fingers atop of the table.

"It's a clapback to the old days of chemical experimentation," Krieg told him. "We're beyond that, now, old chap!"

"And who the hell are you to come back here and cause this unrest?" Dr Hogback asked, glaring up at the man that stood over them. "We've nothing like the White Rabbit to cause your interference."

"I never give up until I have what I want," Law told him, crouching near him to look him in the face. "Do you have anything to share with the rest of the group before I expose it?"

Dr Hogback growled, but he rose from his chair to look at the others as Law moved on. "Look, I was waiting for the right time to say this, but I've been moving into a different venture. It's called a Tea Party. It's a variety of drinkables that, when mixed, can cause hallucinatory effects to a user that guarantees a good time. I'm testing it as we speak. It might make a nice party favor."

"As if the White Rabbit wasn't screwed up enough, giving users the idea that they had mystical power to beat stronger opponents into the ground, now we have a Tea Party," Law murmured, gesturing at the table, where a tied and bound man sat. He was frothing at the mouth, jerking with all his limbs in various directions, looking at something beyond them.

"The people eaters! The people purple people eaters! They're here! They're here, they're heeerrreee!" he mumbled, twitching.

All of them jerked away from the table as Dr Hogback made a grimace.

"What the hell is this?" Doflamingo asked him. "What is that?"

"I told you, it's in an experimental stage!"

"Where did you get the idea?" Law asked him, stepping over the man as he started to vomit.

"The White Rabbit was a good introductory drug, and – well, the idea was given to me by an anonymous letter. It included the formula, the pros and cons, and a simple gamble," Dr. Hogback said with a shrug. "I tried it, and the first two experiments were a success! This…this wasn't. I'm still figuring out why and what, but unforatuntely, he's a little too far gone for me to proceed safely."

"Where is the letter?"

"I…wait a minute I don't have to answer to you! Who the hell are you? Are you taking Zeff's place, or what?" Dr Hogback asked with a huff.

"It's not that I'm enforcing anything of the sort around here. You all can go fuck yourselves. But I am interested in where these paths take me as I continue searching. Looking for clues in every one of your strong holds, I came across this in yours."

"Stay out of our houses!"

"Who the fuck are you to be snooping in our business?"

"I told you, we had nothing to do with his disappearance!"

At the uproar, Kid looked at the others with a questioning gesture, Apoo shrugging, Bonney digging into her jeans pocket for some gum.

Crocodile rose in his seat once more, slamming his hand and hook atop of the table with force. "He's dead! Accept the fact! If you can't find a living form, you'll have an easier time scraping the harbor for his bones! There's no need to continue blaming any of us for it! If you don't stop threatening us, we'll make sure you join him!"

"Oh? You and what army?" Law asked him curiously, crouching down in front of him. Crocodile growled before he straightened away from the table and looked around himself. All of them did. Most of their minions were lying unconscious on the floor around the table, and all of them reacted with flustered action.

Bonney choked on her gum while Kid looked astonished.

"Law, play nice," Corazon muttered, fingers moving rapidly.

"And until I have those bones you speak of in my hand, Crocodile, you'll continue to be a suspect," Law said, hopping off the table. He said nothing else as he left the room, and all of them looked at each other.

"I think I'm in love," Kid told Killer with wide eyes.

"You and me both," Bonney said with a cheered smile.

"That fucking bastard!" Dr. Hogback snapped, sitting hard in his chair. "I was going to tell you guys about it! I wanted to perfect it, first!"

"You weren't going to say anything?" Corazon asked him, finally setting his Vita down. "About your little Tea Party? I thought it was a rule that we share with each other what our future ventures were about."

"I think we've lost hold of that rule since these three barged in," Krieg muttered. "How the hell can you trio live with yourselves, doing what you're doing? Prostituting, killing and drug trafficking? And you've said nothing about it to us? In this group, we share what we're doing with others so we're aware of it!"

"What's the point in that?" Bonney exclaimed, leaning back in her chair to prop her red-soled shoes atop of the table. "Sharing with each other? Aren't we all for ourselves?"

"The point of this group is to conduct our business out in the open with shared powers and ventures that profit everybody," Crocodile told them. "Unfortunately, your young egos do nothing to share that idea. None of you have done nothing to help everyone profit! You've contributed nothing to the city but more crime!"

"No one explained the rules when we got here!"

"Then learn them now, bitch!"

"Who are you calling a 'bitch', you old fart?"

"Zeff had a grandson," Apoo was telling Kid and Killer, leaning in close to be heard as voices rose. "His name was Sanji. He went missing over two years ago when Zeff was set to retire. It was rumored that one of the guys across from us did it because they were all in conflict with that other guy and Zeff at the time."

"So what's this guy's problem?" Kid asked.

"Rumor was, that was his boyfriend."

"Damn it!" Bonney growled.

"There are ways to soothe a broken heart," Kid said with a smirk. "Hey! Are we done with this? I'm tired of this shit!"

"Go home!"

"I'm out. Hey, Apoo, what's this guy's name?"

"Ask Corazon. He's his father, Doflamingo's his uncle."

Kid gave them disgusted looks. Doflamingo was glaring at his phone and Corazon was staring at his Vita with a blank expression, fingers moving rapidly.

"Hell with that. Let's go, Killer. It's time to stalk this guy on Facebook."

"You won't find anything on him like that."

Kid growled. "It's all fun and games until you find your soulmate and they won't accept your Friend Request!"

"Then you _make_ them accept!" Bonney laughed. She pulled out some Hostess cupcakes from her purse, and set to eating them when the table collapsed before them with a tremendous crash.

All of them reacted with started action once more as Luffy straightened up, and looked at all of them in turn. From the shadows emerged his right hand, Zoro – to his left was Ussop, beyond him was Nami with her Climi-tract, and Robin.

"Goddammit, Strawhat!" Doflamingo snapped, leaning back in his chair with exasperation. "Now I'm really going to miss the show!"

"Now that you're all gathered here today, let me start off by saying – thank you for coming," Luffy said, bowing low. "Now that you're here, none of you are going anywhere!"

"Law was already here," Corazon muttered, switching games.

Luffy looked at him with disappointment. "But I wanted to ask!"

"I'm out!" Kid said, rising from his chair. "Bastards. I've got better things to do."

Then he growled as one of Luffy's hands extended and wrapped around his neck.

"Not until I finish asking," he said dangerously, forcing Kid to sit back down. "I know we've been really annoying to everybody these past couple of years, but somebody in this room knows something. You must have. All of you in this room, except for you weirdos, it's the first time I've seen you – "

"Learn to respect us!" Bonney said, rising from her seat with a bang of her hands on the table. "We're running the streets of this city, now. You run into any of my girls, and we'll take you down!"

"Calm down, sister," Nami said with a snort. "Crying for respect doesn't get a woman anywhere in this world. Tears don't work for us, here."

"Maybe for you it don't, ugly," Bonney told her. "But for me, it gets me everything I've wanted and more."

"What's wrong with your lips?" Luffy asked curiously.

"MAKEUP."

"It's been over two years since my friend went missing!" Luffy said, looking at the older syndicate heads. "Will it go another year? And another? I think you've made your point, now, whoever took him. Zeff isn't here, anymore. You stole away the one person he loved the most in this world. I'm sure you're fathers in your own standing – can't you understand what it meant to have your kid taken away?"

Corazon raised his hand.

"It's too bad we've got to do this the hard way, now," Luffy said. "Now that Law's back, that's double the pressure. Because now we know your faces, and we know about this Tea Party thing."

"Wait, you just said – " Dr Hogback started to say when he fell silent.

"Sleep in fear, tonight," Luffy promised, grinning. "Make room in your bed for me."

All of them wore expressions of dismay as he pulled himself out of the table pieces and scampered off through one of the doors nearby. The other Strawhats followed, Nami giggling at their expressions while Ussop pinned them all in his sights, shaking. Robin smiled and Zoro smirked.

"Hope he likes cuddling," Doflamingo muttered after they left, Corazon snorting.

"That's scary and upsetting, and no one needs to know that," Crocodile told him.

"Damn that kid!" Dr Hogback growled, rising from his chair. "All of them!"

"Think that girl's prettier than me?" Bonney asked Kid.

"You really think he'll show up at my place?" Apoo wondered, clearly nervous about it.

"Will somebody please tell somebody something about that kid's whereabouts?" Drake asked, rising from his chair. "I'm sick and tired of hearing about it! Zeff kept us in line for years, yes, I have a level of respect for that old man. But he's retired, he's not coming back, here."

"It definitely wasn't me, we liked that kid," Doflamingo said.

"It wasn't me," Crocodile muttered. "I wish I thought of it, though. Imagine the type of power that could come from holding a kid like that hostage with people like that willing to do anything for him."

"It wasn't me," Krieg muttered, looking at Gin suspiciously, Gin looking back at him with a frown.

"C'mon, man, really? It wasn't me, either," Gin told him.

"I didn't have a hand in it, either," Drake said with frustration.

"I was in jail, so…" Arlong trailed off.

"Time to do some research," Kid decided, rising from the chair once more.

Later, Kid was looking at his tablet with a frown, clutching a cold bottle of beer. Everything the media and back alley information had on Sanji Blackleg's disappearance suggested foul play from one of the syndicate heads' doing. The teen had a recent confrontation with Krieg and Crocodile; Krieg was looking for Law at the time, Crocodile had wanted information on White Rabbit. Because he was Zeff's charge – they weren't related to each other, so Kid had a hard time understanding why he was 'grandson' – the others suspected that Sanji knew a whole lot more about them then he claimed. Just at the time this confrontation happened, the rumor mill had been spinning with confirmation of a relationship between Law and Sanji. Because Law caused so much trouble with their White Rabbit labs, with the Donquixote brothers profiting off the resulting anger after in weapon sales, hearing about this relationship was almost like a relief because they felt they had something on the elusive man.

But the other rumors were that Sanji was quite capable of taking care of himself. Only one White Rabbit pill – Hogback's – had given him enough strength and ability to fight Crocodile to a draw. And that was a feat in itself because Crocodile was one of the most dangerous men out there. one unconfirmed rumor was that Sanji was actually the last of an infamous assassin's family, the White Rabbit had been formulated for their blood only, so when he took the White Rabbit, he'd been nearly unstoppable. But that was only a rumor, and not much else was said about that. Crocodile himself didn't talk about it much, hating to admit he'd nearly been beaten by someone like Sanji.

"This guy looks like a serious wimp," Kid laughed, looking at yearbook pictures and the 'Damn Doffy' video that had been popular for a few months. "There's no way that cool of a guy could be with such a wimpy little dude."

"Except he wasn't a wimp," Luffy's voice said too close to his ear, that Kid shrieked and jerked forward away from the sound. "He was my friend. And he was strong, fast and very clever. And Law loved him very much, that's why he's still looking for him."

" _What are you_ _doing in my bed?_ "

"Paying you a visit. We haven't formally met! I'm Monkey D. Luffy! Otherwise known as 'Strawhat'," he said cheerfully, legs crossed. "I know you have nothing to do with Sanji's disappearance, being that you're new and all, but it's all the same to me. You're in the club, so therefore, you're a suspect!"

"I didn't do anything! At the time this happened, I was still in technical college myself!"

"You went to college?" Luffy asked skeptically, looking him over.

"I did, how dare you. I like to build things. Dangerous metal things! So when this happened, I didn't give a fuck. It had nothing to do with me."

"You're kinda feminine, aren't you?" Luffy asked, tilting his head curiously.

Kid looked at himself, wondering what was 'feminine' about him. His flannel pants, muscled upper torso and Slipknot t-shirt and nearly spilled beer said nothing about being girly. "I'm not! I'm a brutal son of a bitch!"

"Who are all these people?" Luffy asked, looking around Kid's room. The heavy metal posters, Funko figurines and random tools throughout the messy area were only some of the things that Kid liked. "You remind me of those kids at school that wore chains, all black stuff, wore hair over their eyes, and listened to things like valentine bullets."

"'Bullet for my Valentine'! and I was not like that!"

"Anyway, so I'm paying every one of you a visit. Just to see what you know."

"I know nothing about it. This is really the first time I've heard of this. Look, I'm even doing my research. Granted, it's boring as hell, but I'm actually doing it myself because Killer went to bed hours ago. I don't like looking up shit."

"Maybe you heard something we haven't, yet," Luffy said, looking at his pillows and bedsheets. "You drool a lot, don't you?"

"Don't look! And all I heard last night was all these old guys bitching that they knew nothing about it, either. All of them looked super annoyed that that guy had come back and was starting up fresh. But what made it interesting was him calling out Dr Hogback, that jerk. This Tea Party thing sounds like a new venture they were interested in."

"The Tea Party thing is of no importance to me. if people want to fight under the influence of stuff, let them. They'll still get beat up in the end."

Kid jerked around when the door to his room opened, and Zoro stood there with a frown. "Hey, where's your cups?"

"Stay out of my kitchen! How the hell are you guys even here?" Kid exclaimed, rising from his bed. "This is terrorism!"

"If you hear anything about Sanji, let us know!" Luffy said, rising atop of the mattress and hopping off, saying to Zoro, "Did you snag the cookies?"

"Just about to pour the milk."

"Stay out of my kitchen! Those are my cookies! _Killer!"_ Kid hollered impatiently, resettling in his bed with beer in hand. Zoro shut the door, and he heard the confrontation outside occur, but he let Killer handle it. Then he shivered because it had been creepy how Luffy had appeared next to him so suddenly. Paranoid, he set himself against the wall so no one would surprise him from behind, and turned on a light so he could see them coming in. He ignored the sounds of fighting that started from the hallway and moved down to the stairway and beyond.

Taking a huge gulp of the amber liquid, he then resumed looking up names. He was definitely frustrated when he couldn't find Law's in Facebook, looking through the Donquixote's entire album on various sites and giving up because it was obvious he would have to ask the guy questions himself.

Later on that day, Kid and Killer stepped out of the juiced up Shelby Mustang GT500 that was his city car, and made their way to where the coffee shop used to be. It was now a craft store, and both of them looked through the windows with impatience. Their reflections showed them a couple of metal heads dressed nicely for the occasion, wearing matching ties.

"Damn, if I knew that this was a thing back in the day, I would've skipped college to be here every day," Kid said with frustration.

"Are you serious about this?" Killer asked him. "Finding this man?"

"Yep. Hey, look, if we can't find him through traditional means, if we can cause some trouble, maybe he might pop up. What can we do that's almost similar to what he's looking for? It sounds like he's going through people's shit and exposing them to others."

"If you truly want to make a name for yourself, do the route of the others. Find out about this Tea Party."

"That's right! Let's hit up Hogback and see what this shit is about!"

Hours later, Dr Hogback gave them his version of the formula he'd used to create his Tea Party. Kid looked it over with consternation, belching as he set his beer aside. Dr Hogback looked at them both with disgust.

"This is our younger generation? Sickening," he commented snobbishly.

"Face it, old man, this is what we are," Kid said. "So, basically, this is a cocktail of shit. You mix shots of these to create a chemical trip of your own. This has nothing to do with White Rabbit."

"It's a gamble. Each shot with a combination of another will send the user either into a hallucinatory trip, or overdose them back into reality. I'm sure it's better once the formula is perfected. The original was sent to me as a trial run, to see what I could do with it," Dr Hogback said. "I've really no idea why it came to me or who it came from. I suspected a setup, but the premise has gone really well with my usual buyers."

"We can do this," Kid said to Killer. "You into chemistry and stuff?"

"I can do chemistry and stuff."

"Let's make a lab! That'll get his attention, right?"

"I'm sure it will, but not for the right reasons," Killer muttered.

 _"Whose_ attention?" Dr. Hogback asked curiously.

"By the end of the year, it'll be 'Sanji who'?"

"Dream high, Kid," Killer said with a sigh, both of them leaving Dr. Hogback's examining the Tea Party formula.

"Stupid kids," Dr. Hogback muttered with disgust. For the countless time, he wondered if Zeff leaving had been the syndicate's best interest.

A couple of weeks later, Kid woke up in Bonney's closet, dressed in her clothes and holding his beer aloft. Bonney stared at him with wide eyes, a couple of girls staring at him with guns held in his direction.

He laughed merrily. "Bonney! I don't know how I got here – "

"The front door, you bastard. You completely ignored us, crying about your wedding and being stood up. Then you locked yourself in here, trying on everything I own. Please take off my panties."

"It's called a Tea Party. For reals, girl, I was living my way through a dream. It was the wedding of my dreams! Until the bastard left me at the alter for some hussy."

"It must've been that real for you to wind up here!"

Kid quickly scrambled to his feet, plucking her clothes off from him until he stood only in his leather pants and motorcycle boots. "Bonney, I haven't seen reality in four days until you barged in. The trip must've wore off. I'm going to have Killer email you this formula – it's the new best thing. How many people out there hate their lives and want something different? Like all of them, right?"

"Pretty much," Bonney said slowly.

"Then this is better than White Rabbit." Kid walked out from her closet, taking a drink of his beer. Then spat it out, dropping it with a horrified, "This _isn't_ beer!"

"GET OUT OF HERE!"

: :

"It's been three years, now," Zeff said low. Time had left his shoulders sagging, his eyes sad. He didn't look the stiff, proud man he'd been when Sanji was still alive and doing all the things he had been doing to cause him trouble. He just looked tired and withered, and his face had all the signs of defeat.

He was standing in the open doorway of Sanji's bedroom, looking in on the man sitting at the edge of the bed, Sanji's phone in hand.

"It's time to give up on the thought of finding him alive. Those bastards did away with him."

"You're giving up on him, now?" Law asked, flipping through the various photo albums.

"It's time to face reality. If there hasn't been anything new, if anyone hasn't given up anything on him, then we won't be finding him alive. We'll be looking for his bones. This isn't a group of people that are nice and courteous to each other, here. Everyone has a reason to backstab another. Without a note or motive to his disappearance, we have to assume that it was only done because of my position or your actions. As a result, I've stepped down, and you stopped pursuing the White Rabbit, right? So it's done for."

Law said nothing in response. He'd spent too much time thinking about those reasons, and while he had to admit Zeff was right, it was because they hadn't received a motive that he felt Sanji was still alive somewhere. There was always a motive behind everything – he just hadn't found it, yet.

The room no longer smelled like Sanji. The closet held vague scents that were fleeting and unsatisfactory. The phone itself he'd turned over and over in his hands, searching through everything, looking for clues. But every photo he examined showed no new faces, gave no clues to distress of any sort, and the group text he had running with the other Strawhats continued to this day because none of his friends stopped believing.

In this space of time, after the first year, he went back to school because that was what Sanji had wanted. He finished that and returned when he could, only to learn of the new syndicates heads, and this mysterious Tea Party that had been recently released. Now, since his return, Dr Hogback's experiment had grown into something the others were playing with, the three younger members still testing it on themselves and earning a nasty name for their resulting actions, causing distress within the older generation. That entire thing was a mess.

It was something he was vaguely curious in, but it had nothing to do with Sanji.

"I'm not ready to give up, yet," he said, rising from the bed.

"It's painful coming back here. I'm going to be selling this place, and moving out to the bed and breakfast."

"You'll sell it to me, then."

"If that's what you want," Zeff said with a heavy voice, turning and walking back to his own room.

: :

When December finally came around, the city bathed in heavy snow, he wandered the harbor shoreline, gazing out at the cold water. Bodies were dropped in there regularly, and when they were drawn out, he was one of the first to be notified. But they were either syndicate members or unlucky citizens, and every time they drew a skeleton from the depths, he felt a heavy seize of feeling. A suffocating feeling of defeat, hope and anticipation that always left him feeling guilty afterward, wishing that this one was The One. Because then it would close the story, their questions answered, and Sanji could finally rest. But then he refused to dwell on that because he knew the other man was still out there, somewhere, waiting for them.

He watched the diving teamwork diligently to pull up the newest discovery, a small crowd of spectators watching from the nearby pier.

When they brought up a man with skin, he turned away and began walking again, feeling those emotions fade away, being replaced by a vague sense of continued hope.

Miles away, the small group of psychology majors were on a tour through a facility that was their last stop on their way to completing their thesis. They were granted a trip to the facilities in order to place John and Jane Doe faces to various mental ailments, and Ryan Tsujimura's thesis on obsessions was his last obstacle to obtaining his degree to get his parents off his back. They never did forgive him for taking off a semester to fool around in the city.

"Our patients are mostly made up of those who cannot be identified, who cannot be cared for by their families and abandoned here as a last resort," the director said stiffly, closing the door on a room that had held a woman as she cried about losing her supplies in a Warcraft match. "Mostly schizophrenics, those under delusional distress, caused either by drugs or incurable imbalances. Who knows? Maybe one of you guys will recognize one of them and help us identify them in order to locate their families for return."

"This one here is interesting," he said after examining an index card taped to the door, unlocking it. "This one here thinks he's a pirate. Extreme short term memory loss, he 'resets' to this state with no knowledge of himself other than what he'd dreamed up. No memory of his previous life other than how he'd arrived here, apparently on a pirate ship with eight other people. Do any of you know French? He happens to speak very fluently in that language."

"I do," one of the majors said, clearing her throat and speaking basic French while Ryan doodled in his notebook, sure there was something better he could be doing with his time. He should've continued forward with his pursuit of a medical degree, but since he'd extended so much time and effort in the city with his friends, he'd fallen behind and switched majors because he didn't want to lose his scholarship.

As they began shuffling their way to the next John Doe, he glanced at this one, and nearly dropped his things. Though older, Ryan would recognize Sanji anywhere. His hair was slightly longer, nearly jaw length, pulled to the other side of his face, standing only slightly taller than he was the last time Ryan saw him. What made him curious was that even with his plain jump suit was the obvious indication of muscle packed on his slender frame, which made the sight suspicious. If this John Doe was just sitting his days away in a cell with other delusional people, what was he doing to earn that sort of definition?

 _'Hussy,'_ he said, much to the bewilderment of the woman that had spoken earlier.

Sanji looked at him with a start, his expression reflecting insult. He shuffled away from the window, Ryan noticing that his ankles were forced together with restraints. He didn't look like the teenager Ryan last saw him as, but there was definitely the familiarity of his big blue eyes, straight, pointed nose, sharp jawline and pointed chin. He didn't recognize Ryan, only looking at him with a tired frown. The glassy, nearly droopy hang of his eyelids indicated too strong medication, and his words were slightly slurred as he spoke. 'What was that, shit stack?'

'Where's Law?'

'In Dressrosa with Luffy,' Sanji replied with a confused look to his face. 'Do you know them? A little help out of here would be great. You Marine bastards don't know when to give up.'

"Do you recognize this person at all?" the director asked Ryan curiously. "What are you guys saying?"

"Just observing," Ryan said, making a few notes. "I wanted to see how far into his delusion he was."

"So that's it," the woman said, smiling at him.

The director shut and locked the door, giving them all a smile. "Moving onto the next, this one can't remember where he's from, and questions his own gender."

"Hannigan! Hannigan, what the hell are you doing?"

All of them reacted with a start at the angry voice, turning to watch as a man stalked down towards them, looking furious.

"Doctor Hiluluk, sir, good afternoon! I'm just giving these majors a tour of the facility - !"

"Not in this row! I approved D row, not B! These people are dangerous! They have to be constantly monitored! What is wrong with you? I can't believe you even opened their doors!"

"I'm so sorry! I was sure it was B row!"

Ryan made a few more notes, and followed after the others as Dr Hiluluk continued to yell at the director.

Afterward, he drove to the city, grinning widely. He made his way to the center of town and parked in the crowded mall parking garage. Then made his way through the bridgeway to enter the mall's galleria. As he did so, he pulled on his thick winter jacket, zipped up his collar high, then pulled his hat on low, sunglasses in place. Once he reached his destination, he stood there for a few moments, still grinning widely.

The other man ambled up to him, looking tired and drained, barely dragging himself through the throngs of high schoolers that had just been released from a nearby school. His paramedic uniform looked rumpled and there was a slight stain near the collar where he'd dropped something greasy. Without his hat, he was just plain old Austin Nakamura, too 'mature' for everybody around him. They looked at each other with grins.

"Sup?"

"Sup. You look like shit."

"You do, too."

"Your mom eating at your conscious, again?"

"Not like your thesis."

"I found him. _Sanji."_

"Shut up!"

Punched in the shoulder, Shachi stumbled before he caught himself. "No! I did! Seriously! It was an accident!"

"Where?"

"Three hours out of town. Where's senpai?"

"I honestly don't know. He doesn't answer my texts."

"Good, because he doesn't answer mine, either."

"I've been suffocated for so long, I don't know how to be happy, anymore," Penguin said, pulling his hat on with a grin. "Let's go."

"Don't you have responsibilities, young man? Besides, let's tell him what we found - !"

"No, not yet," Penguin said, holding up a hand while Shachi looked at him with a puzzled expression. "First rule – observe and take note."

"It's an asylum that takes in all the John and Jane Does in the state. He's located in D level. Heavily medicated. But he also looks like he's been working out, which is real weird because all they do is sit around and – "

"Who's in charge over there?"

"Some guy named Hannigan. He's the director of the place, not really interested in his patients, though. We waited nearly forty-five minutes for him to show up, and he was only taking a nurse out for coffee. BUT," Shachi interrupted Penguin's next question, finger in his face. "There was a Doctor named Hiluluk who barged in during the middle of the tour, pissed off because Hannigan took us through the wrong level."

"Then let's figure out who Hiluluk is, first. We don't know what's going on there, or why he was kept there all this time. Yes, it's great he's found, but we need to get the background of it, first. We might be strolling into some sort of trap!"

"Ah, you're right. Fine."

"Anyway, drive us out there. We'll do some recon. Then we'll go notify senpai. I'm sure he gets our texts, he just doesn't want to talk to us. If we tell him now, he might do something rash and irresponsible and that might not be a good thing. Did Sanji recognize you at all?"

"Nope. He was talking real nonsense."

"From now on, no more real names. Even if your mom calls."

"Shut up about my mom! I'm a man!"

"And if we can't find senpai, we'll find the next best thing! He's always available, and he can be a little more rational than most people."

The next morning, Corazon stood with uncertainty at the doorway of a pizza shop, lowering his Playstation Vita to his side. The snow was immense in the country, and his minions were having trouble pushing the car out of the bank. Cigarette held in the corner of his mouth, he frowned at the occupants that looked over at him with amazement, having never seen a nine foot tall man before, especially one that looked like him. When the two men in the corner waved at him, he wandered in that direction. He tripped over one chair, knocked aside a table where a couple was sitting, and bumped into a waitress carrying a hot plate with oven mitts.

But he left the chaos behind, looking down at vaguely familiar un-faces that were cringing and wincing at the destruction he left behind.

"What's this?"

"Mr. Corazon, sir, we were wondering if you keep in contact with Law? Oh, it's Penguin and Shachi, by the way. Law's our former upperclassman."

"Ah! Penguin! Shachi! I almost didn't recognize you!" Corazon said, delighted. "What are you doing out here? I thought you all went back east for school?"

"I moved here after I completed my courses," Penguin said nervously. "Shachi here switched majors and moved out to the university over here to be closer to his parents. He did a tour for his thesis yesterday and came across a very valuable person."

"Oh? A celebrity in rehab? Doffy would like to know that," Corazon said with a scoff.

"Sanji."

Corazon nearly choked on the cigarette as he gave a startled suction of breath. He ended up spitting it to the side, a man yelping in pain from a nearby booth while Shachi and Penguin cringed again. snapping his fingers to block out the rest of their conversation, he leaned on the table with both palms, ignoring the gestures coming from the booth.

"Doctor Hiluluk is a former quack with ties to France," Penguin said as Shachi withdrew his notes. "He was ran out of his town for killing patients. When he moved here, he changed his name and background – he's been performing experiments on multiple John and Jane Does from the area, trying to 'cure' them of their mental ailments. But get this – he's familiar with the Vinsmoke family. He's not very nice to Sanji, so we're thinking he was a former rival of the family."

"Then let's go get him."

"Well, we needed to discuss a plan, first, sir. We don't know what Hiluluk is experimenting with on him. He's not very coherent of reality, right now. Both of us tried talking to him, but he thinks he's a pirate and he's being held on a Marine base. He's aware of his friends and Law, but not in the way he should know them. That's why we approached you, first. Law might fly off the handle once he saw what Hiluluk's done to him. We're familiar with basic chemistry, and I'm sure Law's okay with the area, too, but if we take Sanji away at this point in time, we don't know what Hiluluk's work will do in the long run without records. Hiluluk has those in another location."

Corazon looked at both of them with a bewildered expression, digging in his coat pocket. Once he found what he needed, he pointed it behind him, the man he'd accidentally injured pulling back with a shocked expression as he looked into the muzzle of the gun. Customers began leaving with hasty action, causing a slight panic that made Penguin and Shachi regret the location.

"You've really done your homework in such a short amount of time! No wonder Law depended on you both and paid your way through college," Corazon said cheerfully, finding his cigarettes as both men's faces reflected surprise.

"We rely on scholarships and our student loans are paid by us," Shachi said slowly. "Our parents contribute to some of that. Trust me, they never fail to remind us who we should be dependent on."

"You're so silly. The checks you've been writing to your supposed lender have been re-deposited into interest accounts under your names, and those scholarships are really under his name, paid for by the money you've been stealing from the syndicates years back. Bepo's been handling your correspondence and sending you the confirmation letters with the official seal. He was going to tell you after you finished school, Shachi, and after you completed your Paramedic courses, Penguin. I know all this because I helped him set up those accounts. My son might've terrorized you both with his antics and dropped off the face of the Earth, but he always wanted to make sure you both were taken care of."

"'Interest' accounts huh?" Penguin repeated, thinking about the months of money he'd struggled to come up with to pay for his courses.

"It's quite sizeable. Five times more than the loans you were actually paid."

"I kind of want to kick him, but then I want to hug him, too."

"Don't tell him I told you, he'll get embarrassed. It's our secret. Now, let's go get Sanji."

"We need a plan, first."

"We have one. We're breaking in, grabbing him, and I'll have Doffy force Hiluluk into giving us those records. He's so much better at negotiation than I am," Corazon said with a sigh, turning and walking off. The other two hurried after him.

"But at this point, I should've just told the Strawhats this! They'd do the same thing! I thought you had more common sense!"

"Hiluluk might be using Sanji for something nefarious," Shachi finally spoke up. "The way he'd been experimenting on the other John and Jane Does, they were completely off in Neverland. But Sanji was different. He was built, Mr Corazon. Which means he's doing something intensely physical, or he's preparing for something physical."

"Skinny little Sanji? Built?"

"Yes! If Hiluluk had something against the Vinsmokes, then let's assume that he knew of their reputation. What if he was preparing or using Sanji with that same purpose?"

"But there was nothing unusual happening with our side of the city," Corazon said thoughtfully. "No unusual deaths."

"That you knew of, right? What if Hiluluk is starting him off small, preparing him for bigger things?"

"Maybe that's something Zeff would know about, he's more aware of the connections than we are. Fine. We'll just go in and observe from afar. But I make no guarantees if I see that I need to interfere."

"That's what we're counting on!"

The next day, Doflamingo wandered the mansion in search of his brother. When he couldn't find him, he rang and texted his phone. When he still didn't receive a reply, he grew infuriated.

"The last time this happened, I didn't know he was gone for nearly three days! I'm on it, this time!" he roared, locating his GPS tracking app and looking for Corazon's last known location. Once he found it, hours out of the city, he threw his phone across the room, much to the horror of the minions fretting after him. "Round up! We're going for a drive! People are going to die, today!"

"Something's happening," Bonney said that afternoon, once she found Kid and Killer sitting at the park, watching a local death metal band cause chaos on the lawn. The mosh pit was in full effect, the speakers were vibrating with noisy growls and curses, and the hair swinging was a sight to see. She fiddled with her anti-eyebrow ring before plopping herself on the edge of the table with a full bucket of chicken, pizza laid out over the top.

"We've been here all day, we didn't do anything," Kid complained, propping his boots up onto the table. "It's so metal watching a show like this being played in the snow."

"Doflamingo's looking for his brother. Corazon went missing."

"It's only been a few hours!" Killer said in exasperation. "That family can be very dramatic."

"I may or may not have had a hand in it," Bonney said hastily, causing both men to sit up. "Last night, I was sort of bummed about things. I tried out my own Tea Party. I don't remember what happened."

Kid spit his beer out with a laugh. "Yours only lasted a few hours? Hah! I woke up in your closet dressed in your clothes!"

"Look, I don't want to be as brain dead as you are! But I seriously don't have any memory! I might've done something! So, I need a favor from you."

"If you can't handle your own actions, then that's on you. If you want to be weak and not stand up to fight your own battles, then fuck off. You'll get no support from us with that shit."

"FINE! Then I won't give you this," Bonney snapped, waving a piece of paper in the air. "Ask me what it is!"

 _"Whaaat?"_ Kid drew out without any interest, heavily annoyed.

"It's your soulmate. He moved into Zeff's old place as the old man moved out to his country estate last weekend. One of my girls saw it happen."

Kid snatched the paper out of her hands, causing her to growl at him, dropping her food to reach for it. She reached out to touch him, and he used his magnetic powers to jerk her head in the other direction, using her jewelry to do so. She shrieked and Killer sighed as Kid launched himself atop of the table, pushing her hands safely out of reach.

"Yes! Finally! A break! Killer! I need my stuff, man! And buy me some roses and shit! We're going places tonight!"

"You're so _lame!"_ Bonney exclaimed. "What about my deal?"

"I'll help you out for this. I realize you only intended on making me beg for it, but you did good. It's been months since I last saw him, so I'm desperate. Killer! Why are you still sitting there?"

"Is this really necessary? If Corazon is missing like Doflamingo says he is, I'm sure Law would be under distress, as Corazon is his father."

"That's why we need to make a move right now," Kid said, grinning. "I'll drop by to verify Bonney's information. Then I'll go look for the guy! If I find him, Law will have to pay attention to me! How hard can it be to locate a nearly ten foot tall dork wearing lipstick?"

"Doflamingo sent out a threatening text to everyone in his phone contacts," Nami observed, reading the message. " 'Return my brother or die'. Huh. I wonder what happened?"

The Strawhats were sitting at a nearby pizza parlor, Luffy decimating all the orders coming to the table while Ussop tried to save a few slices for himself.

"Corazon never really travels without his brother," Zoro observed, arms crossed tightly over his chest as he looked over at her with his good eye. "He must've wandered off somehow. He's probably with Law."

"Crocodile told him that he's with Sanji," Nami read, lifting her eyebrows, scrolling through the flurry of responses.

"Crocodile loves instigating things."

"This guy, Kid, he responded, 'what do I get if I find him first?' Bonney said, 'I'm sorry! It was me!' Well, that was short lived."

Luffy laughed. "If you think about it, these guys are just a bunch of kids! Older brothers and sisters fighting with each other in a small house! It kinda cracks me up."

Nami continued to scroll through her phone, playing with her hair. Then she set it down with a sigh, giving the table a sad smile. "It's been three years, Luffy. Everyone keeps giving you the same answer."

"No one gives up on Sanji. He wouldn't. He's out there somewhere," Luffy said firmly, cramming two pieces atop of each other and eating it like that. "We're just not looking in the right places."

"I've already mapped out our routes for the next two cities, but with the snowstorm coming in, we might have to hold off. Those roads don't get maintained as well as the ones out here," Nami said gently.

"That should be no problem," Zoro told her. "With your Clima-Tract and my swords. We'll just cut through it."

"If you're confident about it, then. We should have no problem." She looked at her phone as it vibrated again, and there were pictures of Bonney riding the city's statue horses with a flag wrapped around her head and a swimsuit. In other pictures she was hanging from trees, dodging cars with a frog hat and commandeering an elderly woman's motorscooter. All these pictures looked as if they were taken from traffic cameras. "Oh my…it looks like someone was experimenting with the Tea Party."

'Your whereabouts were verified,' Apoo assured Bonney. 'Look at the time in the top left corner of each frame. You had nothing to do with Corazon's disappearance.'

"Young as they are, these three watch out for each other more so than the older generation did," Nami commented, scrolling through the others' responses.

Luffy burped noisily. "I bet Corazon just found Law and is hanging out with him."

"Maybe. I wish we could talk to him," Nami said, lowering her phone. "I know he went back to school, but I haven't seen him in a couple of years. If we could band together, I bet we could come up with something to find Sanji. Great minds together."

"We've practically turned this entire city inside and out looking for anything that might us a clue," Zoro muttered. "I have a feeling he's a lot closer to us than we think. Our eyes just aren't open enough."

"I don't think he's dead, either," Ussop said. "Those guys would definitely let Zeff and Law know that they did something to him. And Sanji would've made it difficult for anybody to do anything like that. like Zoro said, I think someone close to us did it."

"I've stalked Gin from hell and back," Zoro said. "At first I thought it was him because of Krieg but he went looking for awhile, too. I'm pretty sure it's not a member of any syndicate. Maybe it had to do with his family because that was getting out there, as well."

"Maybe Zeff missed one?" Robin suggested, sipping at her water. "When he mentioned getting rid of the rival faction of their family, perhaps he missed somebody that found it appropriate to exact revenge as Law continued to dig?"

"But Sanji had nothing to do with that family but have their name," Luffy said with frustration. "It couldn't be that."

"It's almost time for the show," Nami said, looking at her watch. "Are we ready to go?"

"Sanji would've loved the seal show," Luffy said with a sigh. "I hope they're done with the new expansion. I bet he would've been real excited about it. They're pulling in all sorts of sea creatures from the other seas!"

"Thanks to the anonymous donor," Robin said, smiling. "I'm sure he'll be very excited to see it when he returns."

"I like the way you said that," Luffy told her cheerfully. "Of course he'll be back!"

Law looked at his phone, reading through the chaotic messages of the syndicates in communication with each other. He'd already located Corazon's last known location via GPS, and Bepo was driving them there while Doflamingo accused all of the members with death and destruction as soon as he returned. So he knew the man was already on the road as well. It was all a matter of time before they collided with each other. When he closed out of the message program, he saw the picture Corazon had taken of him and Sanji together, and, as he always did when he looked at it, he smiled.

"This makes me uncomfortable, senpai," Bepo said, driving slowly past the asylum with locked gates, accessible via intercom. "Maybe Mr Corazon wanted only some peace and quiet away from Doflamingo?"

"He would have told me if he were feeling some type of way," Law said, frowning at the building beyond the gates. He had the blueprints on his phone, looking them over to familiarize himself with the grounds first. "Let's go park somewhere close. Doffy should be showing up, soon."

"It sure is beautiful, though!" Bepo exclaimed, maneuvering the truck through a roundabout and taking the road parallel to the fenced in grounds. He hummed along with Toni Basil's 'Mickey', clapping appropriately. As they continued on for another mile, Law pointed off to the side, where Bepo turned on his blinker and turned carefully, pulling up the driveway into a construction site. Law took a few minutes to scan the messages once more before setting his phone into the glovebox.

Bepo parked the truck near some of the construction workers', and both of them left the vehicle behind. He adjusted his jacket as Law zipped up and held his sword against one shoulder, sunglasses pushed on as the sun peeking through the clouds above caused an intense blinding glare around them. The snow was higher out here than it was in the city, and it made the roads muddy and treacherous. Once they crossed the road and found a way over, the deep bellow of Doflamingo's voice was already ringing throughout the enclosure as their cars pulled up to the front of the building.

The security team would be occupied trying to calm that large man down, so Law strolled comfortably up to the building, Bepo taking off like a shot to take to another point. Forming a Room, Law bypassed the security doors that needed a keycard to open, and studied the layout of the back hallway, first. This level was the counseling office area, and the patients were held in the floors below, to prevent anybody distressed enough to consider jumping from high points of the building. The security team was racing for the front, so Law took the side stairway entrance away from that area and began moving up. He figured he'd hit the doctors' offices first, just to see if he could find Corazon's information. Most of the staff was moving away from the source of the noise and commotion, so as Law entered that hallway, he was watching their backs as they headed for another safe direction away from the front. In a few minutes time, he found nothing on Corazon, but he found an office where a large cabinet sat, still open, key in place. Someone had left it behind in a hurry, and as he scanned the office, taking the keys, he noted that it overlooked the front of the building, where Doflamingo's men were posted to prevent any vehicle from leaving the area.

It looked pretty menacing – Doflamingo was very serious in getting his brother back, and his demands weren't being met fast enough as the director tried telling him that no such person was located on the grounds.

Law snooped through some of the files he could see, looking for anything related to Corazon's situation. When he didn't find anything, he formed another Room large enough to encase all floors, and teleported to the very bottom level. He figured he could work his way back up if he just scanned the patients themselves. The lights were flashing at each end of the hall, signaling a warning for those in their cells.

He looked around himself, thinking how similar it was to a jail cell – all the patients were quiet, and none of them made a sound. He wondered if it were straight terrorism or torture to treat these people in such a manner, but when he heard someone grumbling with frustration, the voice terribly familiar, he ventured in that direction.

The door rattled with immense force, as if someone were kicking it. So he knocked on it politely, the action pausing.

"Sir? Do you require assistance?" he asked sarcastically, waiting for Corazon's reply.

"Yes, please let me out."

It definitely wasn't Corazon's voice, but Law's skin prickled with goosebumps. All of his instincts rang. For a few moments, he felt stiff with some sort of emotion.

"Cora?"

"No. I need to get out of here. My friends are waiting for me. Could you let me out, please?"

Pressed up against the door, Law dropped his sword to his side and leaned against it, trying not to breathe so hard. But he formed a Room, intending on teleporting to the inside when a loud crash of sound caused him to jump back, looking towards the main hall. Smoke and dust billowed outward, followed by various bodies in security uniforms. Impatiently, Law stalked over in that direction as Doflamingo looked his way, giving a start.

"LAW!"

"Doffy, you idiot, what are you doing? You can't go around wrecking places like this," Law snapped at him, hearing the pounding again from behind him.

"Cora is here! Are you going to help me find him, or not? If not, I will unleash all these mad people here for their freedom and let them have their way with our free thinking society, and - !"

"You do that, and some of them lose their medication that they need to be a fucking human being. He's not down here, I looked. Go back up. Look through all the doors, but don't break them. They're here for a damn reason," Law growled, prodding Doflamingo to start walking back the way he'd come.

"When did you get here, anyway?" Doflamingo asked him curiously, making his way back up the stairway. He bellowed Corazon's name. "How'd you know I was looking for him?"

"I have a phone."

"You know, you look very menacing, nowadays. That angry look of yours makes you look like a hoodlum. You really need to try smiling," Doflamingo said, hunching to fit through the stairway as he started looking at the doors. "CORA!"

There was muffled banging coming from behind them, and both of them turned to look in that direction. It was coming from the hallway adjacent from them, so they went in that direction. Law gestured at Doflamingo to move and once he did, he teleported back down to the door he'd abandoned. Only it was opened, the key still in the knob, and when he looked inside, he saw that the room was empty. He frowned at the state of it; the single bed, the windowless walls, a plate with a half eaten sandwich and some stale chips on it. A cup on the floor held a tea-colored liquid in it, and he picked it up, sniffing it. The sharp chemical odor made him wince. He set it aside and then left the room, looking both ways with a curious expression. He felt that uneasy feeling of being watched, but it was difficult to tell from which direction as he looked at the closed doors.

As he started making his way towards the very back of the hall, he heard multiple voices rising with excitement. One of them was Corazon's, and he turned, intending on making his way there when the sharp sound of a closing door caught his attention again. this time, he went after the noise, knowing that it came from the end of the hall. Once there, he jerked it open, finding a security tunnel leading away from the building, two people walking briskly through the faintly lit area. He heard his name being bellowed, and when the sound of it rang through the tunnel, one of them looked back with a surprised expression.

He would recognize Sanji's face from anywhere, and words left him at that moment. Instantly the man with him pushed Sanji to walk faster, and as Corazon shouted for him again, coming up the hallway with the others, Law began moving towards the two that were the furthest away.

"Come back! Come back here!" he shouted, extending a Room that enveloped them, and switching himself with the man with the wild hair. In a few seconds, Law was face to face with the man he'd been looking for, Sanji giving him a surprised expression at his sudden nearness.

Law lifted his hands to touch him, to envelop him into a hug when Sanji asked him with a puzzled, "Where's Luffy?"

Right after that, the doctor shouted, "He's an enemy! He's betrayed Luffy! He's killed your crew and he's going to do the same to you! Get out of here!"

"What the hell - !" Law started to say when Sanji twisted, making to kick him. Law switched places with the doctor again, and watched as the man smashed head first into the wall as Sanji kicked him. Then the blond looked horrified as the doctor collapsed, losing most of his teeth in the process. _"Sanji?"_

"Be careful, that man did something to him," Corazon said, catching up to him, hand on his arm.

"We need his records!" Penguin huffed, hands on his knees as Shachi caught up, Law looking at them both with surprise. "We need his records to find out what he did to him! We need that guy alive, senpai!"

"What the hell is going on, here?" Sanji snapped at them, the doctor lifting his head with a gurgle of noise. "Is that true, Law? Did you betray Luffy?"

"He thinks he's a pirate," Shachi explained to Law. "He's so far out of it, he doesn't even recognize us. He thinks Doflamingo's an enemy, and he will attack him! He took all three of us out last night – under that guy's orders!"

Mind racing, Law absorbed that explanation with only vague weight. The doctor at Sanji's feet began to rise, using the wall for assistance as he did so.

"Why do I have to hide?" Doflamingo complained from down the hall. "What's happening? I can't see anything!"

"We're trying to concentrate, here!" Corazon yelled back at him.

"I can just grab him, and we can go!"

"Grab the doctor, then," Law decided, walking forward. "Have him grab the doctor."

The doctor huffed, watching him approach.

"Luffy is waiting for you to come back," Law said to Sanji, who gave him a skeptical look. "He…was hungry."

"So why'd he send just you?" Sanji asked with a bewildered tone. "Where's Zoro? Is Nami all right?"

"They're all waiting for you, because you were supposed to stay behind and watch the ship for them," Law said slowly, the doctor looking at Sanji and shaking his head, making garbled noise. "I can travel faster. I told him I'd get you for him."

"Lie -! It's a lie! He killed him!" the doctor managed to say, inserting himself between them. Then he gave an awkward noise, body moving independently of himself. He eked scared noises as he turned and walked away from Sanji, who looked after him with bewilderment, then beyond, face filling with recognition and fear.

"You're working with Doflamingo? You did betray him!" he shouted, reacting quickly, leaping at him. Law avoided the extended foot as the doctor continued to shout, Corazon yelling at Law to avoid being hit.

Sanji was quick, strong, and Law found himself jerking backwards and pushing himself to keep out of his long reach as that foot shattered walls and caused indentures into the floor. He had no choice but to form another Room, and sever legs from body just to stop the attack.

"ARGH! Hey! Damn you! Damn you how could you? My legs!" Sanji shouted in distress, looking at them kicking with his panicked reaction. Law looked to see Corazon holding the doctor up in the air, shaking him while Doflamingo looked on with immense confusion, holding his head. Both Penguin and Shachi were assisting with the threats, the doctor practically crying as he tried to speak.

Law crouched down next to Sanji's upper half, the blond looking at him with helpless anger.

"Calm down. Luffy is fine," Law said quietly, Sanji looking at him with a measure of distrust.

"Prove it! Where is he? He trusted you – how could you be working with him? You hated him!"

"Whatever story that man fed you was an absolute lie – "

"Then where is he? Where is he, you shitty bastard?"

Law fell silent for a few moments. All his emotions right now were bittersweet. He was finally looking at Sanji after these few years, alive and healthy. But it was apparent that they had yet to understand what had happened to him, and when he looked back at the others, Corazon had Doffy taking the man with them to the other floor, Penguin and Shachi hurrying over to check on them.

"I'll put you back together, but you need to calm down and cooperate with us until we figure out what's happened to you."

"I'm well and fine. It's you people that need to be checked!"

"He's not talking," Penguin told Law, gesturing after the others. "He won't tell us where the records are, and he won't say what he's been giving to Sanji."

"Law, I'm going to take him to Zeff," Corazon said with a frown. "When I mentioned his name, he grew even more terrified. Sanji, you need to cooperate, now. We can't have you attacking us when we're trying to help you. You gave Penguin and Shachi terrible headaches."

"What's the old man have to do with you people? I guess I don't have a choice in the matter. But I need to see Luffy and the others," Sanji said reluctantly. "I don't know what you did with them, but I need to see them."

"None of us have our phones. That man took them from us," Corazon said to Law.

"Here's keys I found in an office upstairs," Law said, tossing them the ring. "Go find your things, I'll take him. Bepo is around, we'll find him."

He wasn't prepared for the hugs that Shachi and Penguin gave him from each side, both of them squeezing him tightly before kicking him in the shin, causing him to stumble awkwardly as Corazon sniffled, wiping at his eyes. Sanji just stared at the scene with heavy confusion, unsure of what he was looking at. But he looked over at his legs and wiggled his toes, utterly ill at ease with being disconnected from himself.

"You'll get it later, you ass!"

"You never texted us back!"

"For this, you owe us!" they cried, running off before they could get too emotional. Corazon just looked at Law with a weepy face, Law blushing awkwardly at the mixed affection.

Corazon just bent to hug him, saying, "We'll find a way through this. Half the battle has been won."

"I don't know what to feel, right now."

"It'll work out. Once we get him to Zeff, things will fall back into place. Just put him back together again, literally and figuratively," Corazon said cheerfully, fixing his hat before turning and walking after the other two.

"I'm so confused," Sanji said, pulling his lower half to his upper half.

"Yes, yes, stand up. Then I'll fit you back together. But give me your back, because it'll be awkward if I pick you up from the front."

"That's such a weird thing to ask of another man," Sanji grumbled, watching his legs rise and stand in place at the thought of it. But he let his upper half go rigid as Law bent and picked him up from behind, Sanji's hands awkwardly curling in front of him as he wasn't sure what to do with them. Then he grew wary, face and neck reddening as his legs continued to stand there and Law continued to hold him. It felt suspiciously like a damn hug, and his senses tingled with confusing action. His arms dropped, hands seeking the comfort of his pockets.

"Are you hugging me? Or helping me?" he grumbled, ears red.

"I'm helping. All I'm doing is steadying myself."

"You're not even moving towards my legs."

"My low blood sugar just kicked in, I need a few moments, so just be patient."

But when a 'few moments' passed and Law was still holding his upper half, Sanji found himself wondering why it was so necessary for him to squeeze him so tightly, face pressed against the back of his head. He squirmed awkwardly, hands lifting to set on the arms that made it difficult to breathe.

"You _are_ hugging me, you bastard! I barely even know you! What the hell? What are you doing? This is so weird! Put me down! I don't even know you like that!" Sanji complained, trying to walk his lower half towards them.

When Law finally put him back together, his head bent and hat adjusted low to hide the upper half of his face, Sanji had to wonder about himself. Why his skin tingled the way it did, why his heart thumped uncomfortably fast, why his ears continued to burn. Why he wanted to reach out so badly to touch and be touched again. it must've only been the stress he felt being held captive and away from the others in his crew, from not knowing their fate.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: I'm so tired. But I'm so physically strong I can't stand it.**

 **Guest #1: Don't worry. ;) while i still enjoy a good uke-Law story (very rare), there's none of that, here. And we're on the same wavelength about Kid, haha!**

 **Guest#2:Find out in this chapter! And the next...heh.**

 **SibrarianRS: You're welcome :D**

 **Naghi-Tan: I'm glad!**

 **: It is, isn't it? But there are different moments here**

 **HildyaOrul: I like a man with substance :D Much like the rest of my bad decisions. Thanks for your comment : )**

 **Guest#3: Me too : )**

 **Musical Bear: Next chapter will have more of a Sanji POV to show what he sees. Kid and bone's adventures continue in this chapter, and the next - will senpai notice? haha! As soon as Zeff left, chaos ruled and now the older guys see what sort of a role he actually had. Too bad they can only appreciate it when it's gone. You have a good question! I will definitely answer it in the next chapter - thanks for pointing that out! :D**

 **Chapter Eighteen:**

 **I Think She'll Know**

"I don't have to say a thing! I don't need to explain myself to anyone here!" Dr Hiluluk cried, Doflamingo holding him under one arm while his minions looked at him with much confusion. Most of the asylum staff were staring with bewilderment, unsure of what to do. But they were forced to walk away from the parking lot by those in black, just so no one could interfere. "My business is my business! You hoodlums wouldn't ever understand!"

"Put him somewhere where I won't be tempted to accidentally kill him," Doflamingo said, dropping him on the pavement. "I don't know what Corazon wants with him, but this is important to him."

"I can't find my favorite hood!" Corazon whined, leaving the entrance minutes later, Penguin and Shachi maneuvering around him. Bepo pounced on the two men with a happy laugh, hauling them up in the air with delighted words while they struggled and cursed to be let free.

Once Sanji walked out into the light, he shielded his eyes, blinded by the sun. it took a few minutes to adjust, Law observing his reaction with a frown. When he was able to see, Sanji took in the sights around him with much interest, scanning the parking lot, lingering on the vehicles parked in line. He stared at the power lines and gazed at the landscape, at the sounds of traffic moving on the main road nearby. He looked overwhelmed, hands still at his face, taking in everything with an expression of incredulity. It was such an odd reaction for someone that grew up in such a noisy environment that Law wondered what was going through his head at that moment.

He reached out to place a hand on his shoulder, leaning in with a concerned, "Are you okay?"

Sanji nodded, his hands fiddling with each other because he didn't have pockets to stuff them in, or a cigarette to mess with. He looked lost, and it took everything Law had not to administer any physical comfort other than what he was giving because he knew Sanji wouldn't accept it.

"You can take the back car, Law, we'll take the front," Corazon said to him, patting for his cigarettes in his pants pockets. When he couldn't find them, he snapped his fingers, and a couple of their minions hurried forward with a fresh pack and a lighter. "Sanji, do you want one, too?"

Sanji stared up at him, unsure of who he was to Law. He took in the sight of his red lips, the garish makeup, the height of him. Then his eyes took in his brother as this world's Doflamingo behaved nothing like the one that he was familiar with. This one walked about with black modern clothing and a phone attached to one hand, and looked goofier than menacing as he threatened the doctor with finding the road with the most speed bumps before slamming the car trunk closed. Sanji looked at Law, seeing that he was somewhat comfortable standing there in their presence, frowning at Doflamingo's actions with disapproval rather than the angry hate he was used to.

But he took the cigarette Corazon held out to him, fingers shaking slightly. "Thank you, sir."

He then stared up at the man as he looked upset, looking at Sanji with a betrayed look before biting his lower lip and looking at Law with consternation. Then he turned away and walked off with such a dejected expression that Sanji wondered what he'd said and did wrong.

" _Sanji_!" Bepo cried, running over with Shachi and Penguin tucked under his arms, their struggles ignored.

"Not yet, Bepo," Law warned, stepping between him and his destination. "Not until we figure out what's been done to him."

"You don't remember us, Sanji?" Bepo asked sadly.

"Off and on since Seabody Archipelago," Sanji confessed, bare feet curling over each other as the cold registered. He looked around himself with curious eyes, noting the cars, the landscape, the clothes of everyone around him. Law quickly removed his jacket and held it out to him, Sanji hesitating before taking it. He noticed the man had difficulty making eye contact with him, and kept looking away from him with a heavy expression. "I know I'm an idiot for not remembering too much of things, but I'm pretty sure it was only then that our crews were in the same place at the same time. You're more familiar with my captain, Luffy."

"You're not an idiot, Sanji," Bepo told him with concern. "And I probably only spoke to Luffy for an entire day's worth of time since we've arrived here. I'm more familiar with you than with him."

Sanji stared at him, sure he'd remember having such a relationship with a talking polar bear.

" _Let's go_!" Doflamingo bellowed at them, holding the door open for his brother. "We've got fourteen minutes to get on the road and hit the pizza place before the cheese gets soggy in the box! I dislike soggy cheese!"

"That is the definition of pizza!" Corazon shouted back, walking towards him. "Where did you put that doctor?"

"In the trunk, calm down, stop yelling at me, I just saved your life," Doflamingo growled back at him. "I hope you think twice the next time you decide to go out and play hero, like this."

"I'm surprised you even noticed I was gone."

"Bepo, go get the truck. We need to get back so Sanji can see his friends," Law said, the bear nodding furiously as he set off, the two yelling with dismay under his arms. Law looked at Sanji as Doflamingo and his minions left the parking lot in a coordinated line. "Sanji, what do you remember about being here?"

"It's only been a couple of hours," Sanji told him quietly, looking for any body of water that would tell him how they'd arrived at the building in the first place. But all he saw was a tree-filled landscape, with low hanging clouds that promised more snow and cold. "The Marines attacked our ship on our way from Dressrosa. I sent Nami and the others off on a rowboat to escape capture, and lured the Marines my way, instead."

Law stared at him in silence. It was cruel how time had taken away the brightly smiling teen from him and placed him somewhere deep within the man's rather gorgeous adult form. His hair was slightly darker, wavier in the back and at the ends, hanging near his jawline. His upper torso was fuller with muscle, tapering down to a very trim waist and hips that extended into long legs that didn't seem to end. His hands were held delicately at his sides, as if searching for pockets that weren't there. His blue eyes had only slightly narrowed with age, and when he looked at Law, it wasn't with the emotion that had looked at him years ago. It was mostly with suspicion and distrust, and it broke his heart.

He wanted to touch him so badly his fingers curled and twitched. The ache in his chest felt like a physical wound. _At least_ they finally found him, alive. Law had to tell himself to be satisfied with that, for now.

Sanji then gave him an odd look. The man was so attractive it hurt Law to look at him, knowing he couldn't touch him right now. Speaking around the cigarette, he asked, " _What_? Why do you keep looking at me like that, shit head?"

"It's been three years since I last saw you, you little shit. I can't help it."

Sanji made a face. "What manner of relationship do you think we have? I barely even know you, you never did speak much with the rest of us."

Law looked at him, ready to say something in response when Sanji's face fell blank, cigarette falling from his mouth. For a couple of moments he just stood there, blinking slowly, and Law looked at him with confusion. Then Sanji blinked again, focusing in on him.

"Law? What are you doing here? Where's Luffy?" Then Sanji looked around himself, taking in the vehicles parked nearby, the setting of the snow, the single airplane coasting through the sky. He stared up at it with an astonished look to his face, unsure of what it was. Law reached for him, his movement causing Sanji a confused expression as he looked at his hand with distrust, pulling back. "Where are we?"

Law exhaled heavily, hand dropping to his side.

"What island is this? Hey, where are my clothes?" Sanji then exclaimed, looking down at the plain jumpsuit, then the jacket that definitely wasn't his. He held it out to him, giving a startled frown. "You can take this. I don't need another man's coat to stay warm. Is this a Marine compound?"

Law took his jacket back, folding it over one arm. He didn't know what to say as Bepo finally pulled up in the truck, Sanji looking at the vehicle with alarm before looking to him.

"I'll take you to Luffy and the others," Law said bitterly.

"How did we get separated?"

"You were kidnapped a few years back."

Sanji stared at him in silence, a disbelieving look on his face. He then looked around once more, noting the vehicles parked nearby. He searched for water that would tell him where he'd come in from. "No, I definitely came in by sea. I remember coming in with a bunch of other animals. The water was pitch black and the dodo bird was telling everyone to run about in a race to dry off before we made it to land. I don't know what rank he was, but the others – there were others."

Before he could answer, Law remembered the cup of liquid left behind in Sanji's room. So he formed a Room big enough to encase the entire building, disappearing out of sight. He returned in moments with the cup, Sanji staring at him with confusion.

"But me being kidnapped, that's not possible. I've been with the other Strawhats for these past few years. Well, not the last two, the last two we were in training, but…look, please, just get me to my friends. I'll know more when I see them."

"Why is it you remember your friends more than you remember me?"

Sanji looked up at him with a frown, brow furrowed. He looked up at a man he didn't know very well, but this one didn't look like the one he was familiar with. This one seemed so much bigger, with broader shoulders, a bigger body, a fuller face and he made Sanji feel like a small man. His facial hair was thicker, his sideburns neatly trimmed – he still wore that damn hat, wore hoop earrings - but his golden eyes were the most discomforting because they seemed to look right at him when Sanji was used to fleeting angry eyes that refused to linger in one spot. Even with how intense he looked at Sanji, ignoring everything else, Sanji did see the hurt look on the other man's face.

With their close proximity, Sanji could feel his skin prickling, again, a sense of awareness all over him that confused him because, as odd as it seemed, that part of him seemed anxious for sensation. His skin seemed to _want_ the other man's touch, and he felt helpless against the alien feeling of deliberately seeking it out. So he crossed his arms tightly over his chest instead, so he wouldn't be tempted.

Law looked away because he couldn't handle taking that expression, anymore. He gestured at the man to get in, Sanji looking at the smiling Bepo with distrust before reluctantly climbing into the back cab seat. A few moments later, Shachi hurried around the truck's hood, Penguin in his own car, intending on following them.

"Here's my notes on the situation," Shachi said, holding out his notebook with his neat handwriting. "Be careful! I'm pretty sure that with whatever Hiluluk's feeding him, it's not something we're familiar with. He's pretty delusional, senpai. Hiluluk talked down on him a lot and mentioned pirate stories when he, quote – unquote, 'reset'. It's in there. Maybe he's feeding him something to continue distorting his reality with, so watch what you say."

"Got it."

Shachi fidgeted for a moment before saying quietly, "At least we found him alive, senpai. This can be fixed."

Law nodded because it was true, but it still didn't chase away the hurt feelings that were crashing and colliding with each other. Nearly half hour later, they had to pull over because Sanji grew car sick, so the drive back home took a lot longer than they'd expected.

By the time they got to the city, Sanji was sleeping in the front seat and Law was finished looking through Shachi's notes. From his very detailed notes, Hiluluk would sit and tell Sanji stories involving adventures on the high seas with his friends, and would make Sanji repeat them to him, interweaving a world of wonder and adventure that Sanji fully believed he was living. They then disappeared for a couple of hours, and when they'd come back, Sanji was in a cool-down state, which suggested Hiluluk had him doing exercise or something similar. When he said something that caused Sanji to snap back at him for insulting him, Corazon had stepped in. Sanji had defended the older man from Corazon, and when Penguin and Shachi interfered, Sanji made short work of them as well. The three of them were locked away in separate cells, to which Hiluluk had panicked at that time. He knew his time was limited.

But instead of running, he waited. It was almost as if he were waiting to be caught, Shachi had added.

The message board that had once been filled with threats from Doflamingo regarding Corazon's whereabouts was now filled with Doflamingo telling everyone that they were lucky his brother was found. But he said nothing about finding Sanji, so Corazon must've been the factor into holding that information back.

Corazon agreed to meet up with them later, after Zeff could be reunited with Sanji, and they'd hold Hiluluk in a secure location until then. Law found Luffy's number and texted him to meet them at his place, hoping the sight of Sanji's room would jolt some memory back into him.

Bepo pulled in and let them off close to the condo, Sanji staring with much interest at the things around him, hugging the jacket tightly around himself. As they made their way up to the front steps, Law heard a rustling sound ahead of them, and caught sight of shadows moving out of their way.

He formed a massive Room and teleported them away, much to Sanji's discomfort. As soon as they reappeared in a nearby park, Sanji fell to his knees and vomited.

"I'm sorry," Law apologized with a grimace, reaching out and pushing his hair from his face. "The car ride and all."

"Everything's moving too fast," Sanji complained, feeling awkward as Law held his hair back. He jerked his head, embarrassed by the too intimate gesture as he rose to his feet.

"We'll go back later when I can make sure the location is secure," Law said, drawing his phone out of his jacket and texting Bepo for an update.

Sanji frowned at him, one foot atop of the other as the icy sidewalk made it difficult to stand without shoes. "What is that?"

Law pulled the screen up so Sanji wouldn't see the picture in front. "Cell phone. You talk to people with it."

"Like a den den mushi?"

"What is that?"

"A snail that transmits signals telepathically," Sanji answered, frowning at him for not knowing this.

Law wondered what sort of tales Hiluluk had been telling this man. He kicked off his boots. "Wear these. They should be here shortly."

"It's sort of weird when I'm wearing another man's jacket and his shoes," Sanji said stiffly.

"Sanji, I hate to break it to you like this, but we've swapped more than clothes, before," Law said impatiently. "So put those on before you lose your damn toes."

Sanji stared at him with his eyes wide. "What? Like…food?"

"Like spit and cum, okay?"

Sanji stared at him with an expression full of shock. " _You lie_!"

"Trust me on this." Law gave a rue smile. "In another ten hours, you probably won't remember any of this, so don't be too shocked, okay? This is hard enough as it is."

Sanji looked red in the face. But he stood there staring at his boots before cautiously slipping his bare feet inside. Then he stared at the sidewalk for the longest time, too embarrassed to lift his head.

"Is that…is that why you look at me like that?" he asked softly. "How could that be? I'd definitely remember something like that."

"We've known each other since we were kids."

"I don't remember anything from…" Sanji trailed off, looking at him once more, exhaling slowly. He was so blindsided by what Law had just admitted that he couldn't quite focus on him. He struggled to remember anything that could tell him that they had this sort of relationship. But all he could see in his foggy memory was a very angry and quiet man that didn't like fun and laughter. "I've been on the seas since I was eight. I was shipwrecked with the old man. Maybe before that?"

"You were five. I was ten. We lived in the same apartment complex."

"That's impossible. We weren't allowed to talk to anybody at that age. We were part of a noble family, locked in tight to prevent much interaction with commoners. But then some men came in with guns. They killed my siblings in the family room, but I'd escaped to the kitchen by then. They…and me and the old man, we left through the back door. So there's no way we could've met at that time," Sanji said, frowning at him.

Law stared at him in silence, sure that Sanji had just revealed a part of his memory that he thought he'd lost.

"You're right. My mistake. We met when you were eight, and I was thirteen."

"That's wrong, too. That's when we were shipwrecked. Zeff and I worked on a cruise liner when we were attacked by pirates, and he…" Sanji trailed off, looking into the city lights in the distance, forehead scrunched with concentration. But the airplanes overhead were so mesmerizing, roaring overhead that he kept looking at them. "We barely survived. We starved for over eighty days, waiting for help. On a rock in the middle of no where. After that… he brought me to this world and…he made me into something else. Something I wasn't supposed to be. I don't want to talk about it, anymore."

"Zeff took very good care of you after you lost your family. He adored you as his own child. There was nothing he did wrong when it came to you," Law said firmly.

"How would you know that?" Sanji asked him with great doubt. "You know nothing about my life. I know nothing about yours, except that Doflamingo is your enemy!"

"I know pretty much everything there is about you and your life, Sanji. You were a great part of mine, and our families are very familiar with each other, and by the time you left, we'd planned out what we'd do for the next part of our lives together."

Sanji stared at him with disbelief. "That's not something I'd ever believe! If you were such a 'great part of my life', why aren't I more familiar with you?"

"I'm not sure what's going on in your head right now, but that doctor filled it with outrageous lies and tales that aren't true in the slightest."

"How do I know _you're_ not telling me these outrageous lies and tales?" Sanji returned, growing frustrated and angry. "Where is Luffy and the others?"

"They'll be here shortly, they're on their way over."

"Do you do this to everybody? Make them so uncomfortable that they can't think straight?"

"You're right, Sanji. I'm sorry."

Sanji stood in silence for a few moments, just clutching the front of his shirt with a confused expression. Law wanted to touch him so badly, his hands shaking slightly before he stuffed them into his jeans pockets, fisting them there.

"Not Blackleg-ya?" Sanji quietly asked after awhile. "We're on first name basis with each other?"

"Mr. Blackleg sounds like I'm talking to Zeff."

"Nose-ya, Strawhat-ya, Zoro-ya, Robin-ya, Bone-ya…I don't feel good."

Law pointed a nearby bench. "Let's go sit down. You're probably still motion sick from the drive."

"It was a lot faster than a ship," Sanji muttered, taking his advice, clomping along in shoes that were too big for him. He sat down slowly, feeling awkward about it. All around him were things that he vaguely recognized, but the city itself was massive, with too many lights and high rise buildings that weren't the usual shapes, and the airplanes moving overhead were too wondrous to look away from. Sirens in the distance screamed shrilly, and loud music from passing vehicles caused him to wonder what sort of instrument could make such disgusting sounds. He felt overloaded by the visuals and the fast pace off things around him. There was too much of it to take in all at once.

"Look, try to hold it back. Luffy is coming. I can leave you with them so I can analyze that shit he was making you drink. What else do you remember taking that wasn't a food?"

"Marine bastards gave me nothing. I didn't drink or eat anything. I think I'm going to throw up, let me throw - !"

Law let him heave over the sidewalk. He hated the feeling of being helpless, not knowing what it was that Hiluluk was using to keep Sanji heavily medicated. He pulled his hair back from his face, his heaves getting stronger and stronger. Finally Law just held him and teleported them away from the park. When they arrived inside the condo, he dropped him on the couch and hastily searched every nook and cranny for intruders. But everything was locked up tight, and nothing stood out. He brought Sanji to the bathroom, and Sanji kept heaving, holding the toilet as Law left him there while he called and relayed some instructions to Bepo. Then he texted Luffy.

"You'll just have to bare it until we can find out what was in that stuff," he said, reappearing back into the bathroom, Sanji hanging onto the toilet miserably. With a wet washcloth, Law mopped the sweat from his face and forehead.

"Where's Luffy?"

"They're coming."

"I don't want them seeing me like this."

"For fuck's sake, they don't care if you've been – "

"Not like this! They can't see me like this! You'd understand, right? Being seen at your most vulnerable, you can't say that doesn't bother people?"

"It's been _three_ years! They don't care -!"

"Then I'll leave until I can get myself back together," Sanji snapped at him, rising from the toilet with much effort.

"Goddamn it, I'll bitch slap the taste right out of you if you fucking leave this place when there's somebody out there! Trying to protect your goddamn fucking vanity? Sit the fuck down before I fucking smother you in that goddamn tub! _Do you understand that_?"

Sanji stared at him with a stubborn expression, red-faced, but he slowly lowered himself back to the toilet and began heaving again. From his distance at the door, Law mimed choking him from behind before turning and leaving the bathroom. He went and searched his room for clothes, but when he brought them to Sanji, Sanji just looked at him as if he were joking.

"Probably when I was younger," he said with a snort, brushing his hair out of his face.

"You're right, you've got a fatter ass, now."

Sanji tried to cover it. "HEY! No, it's not!"

"I'm not complaining, I'm just saying…"

"That's a really weird thing to say to another man," Sanji said, red faced and self conscious as Law walked out and went for his room, trying not to be bothered by the exchange. When he returned, Sanji was still embarrassed, but he took his clothes with a frown, looking at each article with skeptic action.

"These are yours?" he asked, lips held to one side.

"What's wrong with them?"

"I just can't see you wearing something like this," Sanji admitted, holding a pair of jogger pants against himself, and the hooded black tee with yellow stripes up the arm. "It's so…like this is something you wear to bed. These pants."

"Most guys wear them, these days. They're comfortable."

"They're ugly."

"Then go find something you like, and stop bitching about what I'm offering."

"Don't get shitty with me because you have shitty taste!"

"What are you fucking expecting, a goddamn suit and tie?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact. Have any?"

"No."

"FINE. Get out. I'm taking a shower, then."

"Leave the door open. I lost you once, I'm not losing you again."

"That's such a weird thing to say!" Sanji snapped at him, red faced once more, but he did leave it open once Law stepped out.

When he emerged from the restroom, he was drying his hair with a towel, grumbling as he walked into the living room. Law tried not to be so obvious, but those pants really just emphasized too much of everything.

"Maybe sweats would fit you better," he mumbled, focusing hard on the liquid he was transferring from the cup to a jar. "Maybe a nun's habit."

"Why are you mumbling?" Sanji then looked at him with a combination of dismay and concern. "Your nose is bleeding."

"It's these chemicals."

At the familiar smells of his shampoo and his soap, Law tried not to express any emotion he suddenly felt at that moment. Sanji was combing through his hair with an annoyed frown, towel around his shoulders as he ventured into the living room to examine the tv, the other electronics around it. He lost interest in his clothing and hair, and just stared at everything, wondering what it all was. He pushed his hands into his pockets to keep from touching anything, marveling over the remotes, DVDs still in their plastic wrapping, books with actual picture covers and outside summaries – he pulled out a DVD case, discovering the disc inside.

"I take it there's none of that in your world," Law said, watching his reaction with interest. Almost like he had years ago, when he'd first ventured in their apartment and marveled at Doffy's man cave. It hurt his chest just visualizing that memory.

"Just a den den mushi," Sanji answered vaguely.

Law heard the rumble of voices first, so he hurriedly opened the door before the rubberboy could slam through it. The Strawhats trampled their way inside, looking excited and happy, Nami already crying as she saw Sanji looking over at them with a happy shout, dropping the DVD underfoot. Their cries of glee and delight filled the place as they saw him, Sanji's cheered voice greeting them with as much joy of his own. Law had already warned them about Sanji's mind set, so he hoped they didn't get too confused when he spoke with them.

He then stepped outside and shut the door, trying not to feel so bad. It was extremely difficult listening to the way Sanji greeted the others with so much feeling when he'd looked at him with distrust and caution. But he knew it'd pay off later because _at least_ they found him alive. He stood outside, against the door, exhaling slow. It opened suddenly against his back, Luffy peering out at him with a concerned frown before joining him outside.

"I see what you mean," he said quietly. "Whatever that guy did to him, really messed up him. I just wanted to check on you because it doesn't feel the same."

"It's important that I analyze the drink the doctor had been giving him."

"But you're not happy."

"Main thing is, he's home, now. In nearly eight hours, he'll reset and we'll start this game all over again," Law said, checking his watch.

Luffy gazed off into the distance for some time before exhaling low. "It's like we have him, and we don't. Maybe if we beat him up he'll remember us better."

"That's a really stupid idea."

"I just want him to remember us. Where's that guy, at?"

"In a secure location."

Luffy frowned, straining hard to think. "Just give me the physical parts. I can do that, instead."

"I don't know if there's anything or anybody else we'd have to worry about. Finding this man's motive will be the end of the deal."

"I hope so."

"Stay here with him, tonight. I've got some business to attend to."

"I thought you'd want to be here with him the most, Law," Luffy said, looking at him with concern.

"He doesn't remember me the way he remembers the group of you."

"Oh. I'm so sorry. I'll do everything I can to make him change his mind about you," Luffy said with determination.

Law rolled his eyes and then gestured at him to go away, so Luffy left him because he knew the situation had to be upsetting for him.

When Zeff came up nearly a half hour later, looking winded and hopeful, Law made to warn him about Sanji's mentality when Zeff crushed him to him with a hug, Law stiffening up with surprise and shock at the unexpected gesture.

"You never gave up," Zeff told him, utterly grateful. "That little bird told me what happened. I need to see that man for myself. Let's go now before I go in there and get distracted. I know he's safe with the others, for now."

"Um, sure, but it was Penguin, Shachi, and Corazon that found him," Law said, unexpectedly touched as Zeff pulled away and gestured at him to follow, his car still running in the parking lot. Because he was right about Sanji being in safe hands for now, he did follow after him.

By the time they'd reached the house where Doflamingo liked to conduct his questioning, Zeff was pretty angry. He stalked towards the dining room, looking down at the man that trembled at Corazon's feet. Doflamingo was nowhere in sight.

'Who are you, scum?' Zeff demanded in his first language, Hiluluk looking up at him with visible hate in his features. 'You've no goddamn right to look at me like that.'

'How does it feel having everything you've loved taken away? I'm sure you know exactly what it means. I wasn't sure about his identity then, but after Kureha confirmed it, I put my plan into motion. The White Rabbit fit him just as perfectly as it did with the rest of that family!' Hiluluk said before giving a crazed laugh. 'I never kept notes! It's all in my head! Not only that, but I implanted a few triggers in him as well. Once he's set off, he won't stop until it's finished.'

'What does that mean?'

"You'll only know when it happens," Hiluluk said smugly. "None of you will be prepared when it does. Three years is a long time, Zeff. The habits he learned with me are habits he won't stop until a miracle comes for you."

'If you're talking about family, yours slaughtered his! How is this honorable revenge? In the end, it's even!'

Hiluluk said nothing, tightening his lips.

Zeff stared down at him with disgust, then looked at Law. "He won't say what he used, he's got the records in his head, but he'd also said that the White Rabbit fit him as perfectly as it had with the rest of the family. He mentioned implanting 'triggers' in him, as well. See to it what that means. You, please make sure he doesn't do anything rash, like off himself. Make him comfortable for the night. I'm going to see that old witch and her reindeer, as he'd mentioned that they had a hand in this."

"Leave Chopper out of this," Hiluluk said hastily, looking up at him with dismay. "He only did what I told him to do."

"Is he important to you?"

Hiluluk shut his mouth quickly, looking panicked. Law wondered if Zeff would actually retaliate against the man by using the reindeer as a bargaining tool. It made him feel a little sad about it, but if Chopper had a part in Sanji's disappearance, then he'd leave it to Zeff to handle. The older man frowned down at Hiluluk, then at him.

"I'll return in the morning to see him. Please see to it that he's safe, tonight."

He then left them without saying where he was going or what he was going to do, Hiluluk eking out a sound of consternation as he realized who he'd endangered.

Corazon looked at his minions, signaling for a wrap up. "You heard Zeff. Make him comfortable."

As they set to work, dragging him off towards the back rooms, Corazon looked at Law. "Now, what?"

"I need to find a cure. Whatever he did can be undone. There are clues, he gave plenty away. First being that he was the one to bring the White Rabbit here. I have the original formula. Second, he tailored it to Sanji once he confirmed his identity with Kureha. So he implanted a killing trigger in him; more than likely, it's a word or a face that will set him off. Third, because of Sanji's delusions, Hiluluk must have formulated the Tea Party and set the idea in motion to Dr Hogback. The formula he gave to him had to be the original. I'll just go and get it."

"You think you can do all this?" Corazon asked curiously.

"I _will_ do this. Not 'if', or if I 'think' – I can and I will do this." But Law frowned. "He must've felt guilt about it, Cora. I think he knew what he did was wrong. Otherwise, why give away so many clues?"

Corazon gave a thin shrug. "It's been a long day."

"Cora…thank you. For everything. Those two were right about getting to you, first. I would've struck out too fast and never would have heard of any of this."

"I'd do anything for you, kiddo," Corazon assured him, hugging him tightly.

As Law was walking back to the condo, running scenarios through his head and feeling all sorts of emotions about the entire incident, he realized he was being watched. So he stopped in mid step and looked around the parking lot, wondering if it had to do with the earlier presence. It didn't make the situation any better, knowing that they were being watched, so he decided to nip it in the bud before it could get any worse.

He formed a Room that encased the whole parking lot, then withdrew his sword, slashing only once to have every single vehicle in the parking lot lose their roof. A gesture lifted all of them up from the ground and tossed aside, and single scream of outrage filled the area. He looked over to his right and saw Kid climb out of his ruined Shelby GT, looking furious.

"What'd you do to my fucking car, man? That's brutal!" Kid shouted at him, throwing a can of beer onto the sidewalk. "All you had to do was ask – _Hey_ , who's out there? You didn't have to ruin my fucking car! This was my baby! My metal precious _baby_ , and you killed her!"

Law just looked at him, lip curled with disgust as he took in the man's taller frame; the metal muscle tee shirt tucked into leather pants and bright red Vans, the multiple studded bracelets, the red scarf that held back red hair, topped with sunglasses and the black fur coat that hung over huge shoulders. It truly was sad that the younger generation of the syndicates was reduced to former high school miscreants. There wasn't any class to them.

"You _killed_ her," Kid insisted, realizing that Law didn't care.

Kid was utterly amazed that he was finally looking at his crush after all this time. Law's eyes were intense and rimmed with lack of sleepless nights –which meant there was serious angst going on there - and _damn_ if he wasn't more attractive up close. He had the urge to rip off his hat and run away with it like some elementary school girl holding onto stolen treasure.

"I had this whole speech planned out in my head, but I forgot it all when you ruined my car," Kid admitted, feeling his face reddening. "I'm brutally angry right now. You need to take responsibility for my baby."

"Get the fuck out."

"Or what? you don't look that fucking scary."

"Maybe I'll remove your liver. It looks like you don't want it, anyway."

"I'm getting the fuck out because I'm pretty sure I need that shit. We'll continue this later, and you will regret not being nice to me."

Law stared after him as Kid climbed back into his now topless car, threw it in reverse, and left rubber on the pavement as he left the parking lot. He wondered what that entire encounter was about – if Kid were somehow involved with Sanji's disappearance; which only made him feel overprotective, driven by fear in that this guy was plotting on him for whatever reason. For a few moments, he felt vulnerable because he'd just got Sanji back – what if someone were going to take him again?

 _He noticed me_! Kid thought, hitting the steering wheel with a cheerful yell, unaware of Law's current plight.

: :

Later that evening, after the Strawhats had made themselves comfortable in the living room, Law couldn't sleep. He made a pot of coffee and took it to his room, where he could look through all of Shachi's notes again, and plan a way out of saving Sanji from his chemically induced madness. He was pining up all the notes of his own in identifying the chemical components of the liquid he'd taken from the asylum when the door opened, and the man himself walked in.

He looked around the cluttered mess with disdain while Law felt himself grow embarrassed. There were books everywhere, as well as papers, old coffee cups, some takeout boxes, clothes that had yet to be put away – admittedly, he wasn't the best housekeeper there could be, and his habits of leaving something behind as he grabbed another hadn't gotten any better.

"I can't sleep, and I noticed your light was still on," Sanji muttered. He looked at the pot of coffee on top of the desk. "Are you drinking it straight from that?"

"There are no cups."

"That's because they're all in here. It's not that hard to go back to the kitchen and wash them for later."

"You can't sleep because you feel the need to come in and lecture me over my habits?"

"Where do you even sleep?" Sanji asked, ignoring his question as he lifted a foot and kicked at the pile of books where he thought a bed sat. "Wow. For a self-professed surgeon, you are a dirty man. I wouldn't trust you with my wounds."

"I'm going to kick you out of here in five seconds."

"It's suffocating in here. Is this even a room? It's a good thing you have a big crew, you make a big mess."

"Four seconds."

"I'm surprised there are no mice in here," Sanji muttered, looking at old takeout containers with a wrinkle of his nose.

"Three seconds."

"Probably a ton of cockroaches under that thing…"

"Two."

"You're never getting laid," Sanji said with a snicker. "No girl wants to come in here and see this - STOP! What are you doing? Unhand me!"

Law paused in pushing him out of the room, Sanji stopping the action with a foot on the doorframe, pushing back. "Did you just say 'unhand me'?"

"I meant, get your damn hands off me, bastard."

"Lowering your voice won't help the fact that you screeched like a little girl. Get out. I've no time for your judgment."

Sanji scowled at him as Law finally pushed him out, shutting the door behind him. He tried not to react, but that was as close as he felt he was going to get to the one that he knew. The door opened again and Sanji peered in, saying, "Where did you get my clothes, earlier?"

"Your room is across from this one."

Sanji gave him a shocked look. " _We lived together_?"

"No, ass, this was the place you shared with Zeff. Go look around."

Sanji wandered off, and Law exhaled heavily, hoping that he'd be occupied in there so that he could focus on his task.

"This isn't the old man's room?" he heard him ask incredulously.

"Keep your goddamn voice down, stop shouting."

"I'm not! I'm just sayin! There's no personality in here."

"You're the one that wanted to grow up so fast, you little shit," Law muttered, looking through his notes and then dropping them when Sanji popped in, growling, " _What'd you say_?"

"GET OUT."

"I heard you mumbling again!"

"For the love of - ! GET OUT OF HERE."

Sanji slammed the door shut and returned to his room, Law growling with a frustration as he picked up his papers and re-sorted them, hanging up the ones that were most important. He found his reading glasses and slid them back on to try and write again when Sanji peeked in, saying, "There is no way that is my room. It's yours. I recognize nothing."

"Leave me alone!"

"It's not like you're doing anything. Get in here and prove that this is my room!"

"You're so fucking needy! Just look for yourself!"

"'Needy'? _I'm_ needy? You know shit, you bastard! I am not a needy person! I can and will do things on my own, by myself!"

"Then let's play a little game," Law suggested, crushing his papers in both hands. "For five minutes, you occupy yourself in that room while I stay in this one. Whoever approaches the other first is the loser."

"I'm not a fucking child, you fucking asshole." Sanji slammed the door shut again, Law roaring, "STOP MAKING SO MUCH NOISE!"

" _You're the one shouting_!"

"BOTH OF YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Zoro bellowed from the other room.

Law cringed, forgetting that they weren't alone. Sanji shouted back at him from his room, and he and Zoro shouted at each other. Embarrassed, Law removed his hat from his head and tossed it aside, rubbing his eyes. Sanji barged into his room once more with some clothes, dumping them on his bed.

"I win," Law said simply, frowning at him.

"This is your stuff. There is no way I'd wear any of this crap."

Law looked down at Sanji's clothing, knowing that he would because it was all he'd seen him in. Cardigans, tees, different sorts of casual pants wear – he growled, putting aside his paperwork and snatching up the pile as Sanji left it there. he stalked across the hall with impatience, seeing that Sanji was digging in the closet and the dresser with a scornful expression.

"This is yours! What are you, a child? You take them back and put them away!" he snapped, throwing them on Sanji's bed.

"Like I'd be caught dead in that. My things are more formal than that."

"They're _yours_ , you - !"

"You call me names again, I'll kick you."

"You little sh - !"

"I can't believe this stuff is something you think I'd even put on! What is this?" Sanji exclaimed, holding a vee neck tee with stripes on it – from the bottom of the hanger was a pair of skinny jeans with fashionably patched holes in the knees. "This is something _you'd_ wear, you like showing off your body. Jeans are not my thing."

"That obviously never fit me _ever_ , in my entire life. Maybe when I was ten."

"Where are all my dress shoes? All my slacks? My formal shirts – there is only one tie in this, and it's connected to this uniform – "

"I'm not going through your damn closet at one in the morning. You figure it out. Leave me out of it."

"I wish I had my original clothes."

"Keep it to yourself. I'm busy." Law then returned to his room, shut the door a little too loudly, and resettled at his desk. He'd worked maybe two minutes before Sanji barged in again, holding up a shirt that Law had thought he'd lost a while back.

"This is definitely yours. Why is it in my clothes?"

" _Now_ they're _your_ clothes… Sanji, for ten fucking minutes, leave me out of your reorganizing. I'm working on a fucking cure, here."

"Am I staying here? Is there another place for me to go?"

"You can stay out with Zeff, if you'd like," Law suggested, not liking the idea at all, but it was mainly for Sanji's comfort. "He lives out in the country, now, at a bed and bath."

Sanji fiddled with the shirt for a few moments, then asked curiously, "Did we stay together?"

"No. I had my own place with Shachi and Penguin."

"Were you here, a lot?"

"Yes. I spent nights here molesting your teenage self for my sick pleasure. Now, get out."

Sanji reddened, looking at him, looking at the shirt, then walked off, shutting the door behind him. Law felt that sinking feeling in his gut, an apprehensive one that made him feel sick because he knew that Sanji would only remember their past if he were able to find a cure. So he returned his focus on his paperwork, then looked at the liquid he was saving.

When the door opened again, he gave a frustrated growl.

"How did we meet?" Sanji asked, flustered.

Law told him, giving a limited version of their interaction. Sanji thought about it for a few moments, then left the room. Three minutes later, he returned, saying, "So _I_ was the one that pursued you?"

'Yes, as a child, you were a fucking predator."

"I'm just asking!"

"I'm trying to work, here!"

Sanji slammed the door shut, and Law got up from his chair with his glasses thrown off. Sanji opened it to yell at him, was surprised at his appearance, and tried to close the door again. Both of them pulled and pushed at it.

Finally Sanji let him pull the door his way, and it smacked off his face. Horrified, Sanji retreated to his room and shut and locked the door while Law rubbed his nose with a curse.

"AND STAY IN THERE! Fuck! I just need twenty fucking minutes to concentrate on this!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah…"

For twenty minutes, Law was focused once more on his paperwork. He was looking through his own notes when he rummaged through the desk for a couple of things, then teleported into Sanji's room, startling the man as he was looking through some yearbooks with an embarrassed face.

"This is me?" he asked Law, horrified as he pointed at his sophomore year picture.

Law couldn't help but grin, taking it from him. Sanji stared at him with utter mystification, very positive he'd never seen this man make such a face, before. It rendered him a total stranger – a very handsome one. If this man had smiled in this manner in the world that he was familiar with, Sanji was pretty sure he'd never be lonely. Maybe that was why his crew was so devoted to him – maybe they knew this side of him over there.

"Yes. _Wow_. You were so gay," Law said, delighted at the sight of the brightly grinning teen that he remembered. "What a cute little homo you were."

Sanji stared up at him with a confused frown. "You're insulting me, but you're using it in such a way that it's more affection than insult."

"Hah. Look at your ears. I forgot how they stuck out like a dog's. Just like a Frenchie."

Sanji snatched the book from him with a huff. "You're insulting me with such a stupid look to your face. Don't look at it if you're just going to be offended by it. I feel like you're making fun of me in some way."

"I am. At least it's to your face."

"Your fucking sarcasm pisses me off!"

"I need to take some blood."

Not bothered by the request, Sanji just pulled his sleeve back and held his arm out to the side so he could do so, looking through another yearbook. As Law went through the motions of taking his blood, he felt that his hands lingered too long on the other man's arm, handling it delicately – enjoying being able to touch him again.

"And the others are here, too," Sanji realized, pointing out Zoro's yearbook picture, Nami's, Luffy and Ussop. He chuckled, looking at their faces with affection. Then he looked at him curiously. "Where are Franky, Brook and Chopper?"

"I don't know who you mean with the first two, and the last was involved in your disappearance. Zeff is probably skinning him right now."

Sanji stared at him with such wide eyed horror that Law reluctantly corrected himself. "'Talking' to him. He's only talking. He'll come to us in the morning with what he found."

He then gathered up all his material, along with the vial he'd collected.

"How long were we together?" Sanji asked, head still bent, but his ears reddening again.

"Not that long, but…we'd always had a friendship."

"Did we love each other?"

"Yes."

Sanji looked up at him with a start, eyes wide. He was still blushing, the very possibility of such a thing utterly mind-blowing. Law couldn't help but frown at him.

" _What_."

"Just…I can't see it. I can't see us having…I mean, you're so…rude and abrupt and shitty, and I'm this…non-man loving person, I can't –"

"Yes, you're such a non-man lover, you're hiding your boner underneath the book."

"I am not!' Sanji snapped, throwing it at him in reaction.

"Ow! You shit! Learn to control yourself!"

"Stop saying weird things! I do not - ! How could you even - ?"

"Stand up, then."

"…No."

"Well, this makes me happy _and_ not to know that you still get a stiffy in my presence."

"SHUT UP!"

"Don't worry. As the only adult here, I have a large level of restraint, and can control my impulses. Maybe you should learn from me."

"You want to go?"

"Go where?"

"To fucking Hell."

"Wow, it's like you never left. You're still seventeen."

Sanji shifted and kicked out, tripping him to the floor. At the loud thud and Law's garbled curse as he saved the full blood vial from crashing into the nearby desk, Sanji was on his feet in moments, ready to kick again.

Carefully, Law pushed the vial of blood underneath the bed, where he knew it wouldn't be damaged. Then he rose to his feet, giving a heavy sigh.

"I'm going to kick your fucking ass, jerk," Sanji snapped at him. "There's no need for you to talk to me the way you are. No wonder you were such a loner – you lack manners."

"Sanji, first warning. I always won our roughhousing. Second, you're the jerk for disappearing for three years and making me this way. Third, when I win, you'll calm the fuck down and go to sleep so I can work on this very important project. Fourth, stop making so much fucking noise, your friends are still in the other room, trying to sleep."

"Please," Sanji scoffed, hands sliding into his pockets. "You rely on your sword to do all the talking for you. All I need is my legs."

"Not here."

Sanji struck out in the cramped space, but before he could reset to kick again, Law had his back and he suplexed Sanji right into the bed, landing on top of him and quickly using his weight to pin him down. Sanji cursed and flailed, trying to get enough space to wiggle free. Law placed a knee on his right hip and pressed down while Sanji yelled out.

"Now, go to sleep. Enough of your pestering – _ow_!"

Sanji reached back and grabbed a handful of his hair, twisting and getting his legs between them. He was able to kick Law up and off him, knocking the man off the bed and across the room with a heavy bang against the closet. He followed up with a knee, but Law had already recovered and took a slight side step, slamming into him and pinning him to the floor with another loud crash of sound.

Sanji cursed, pushing at his face and shoulders, twisting in an effort to get space between them once more. But all Law did was grab his face between his and licked the length of it to stop the action. Sanji screamed in horror, then shut his mouth hastily as Law worked up spit in his mouth. Sanji pushed at his face as Law maneuvered over him, spit dangling over his lower lip.

"Don't you fucking dare -! Sick fuck! Shit! Stop! STOP!"

"Can't stop the train, Sanji."

" _STOP_!"

"Open your mouth wider."

Sanji tightened his lips, whipping his head from side to side as he struggled to push him away, a strangled noise leaving him. Then he reached up and wrapped his arms around his head, yanking him down over his chest. Law couldn't threaten him with spit, but he struggled to pull his head up and push Sanji down, Sanji hanging onto him with all his might.

"You guys are funny," Luffy said, standing over them as they looked up with horror. His sleepy face pretty much suggested that he'd been having a very hard time trying to sleep. "I never did see you two get along before, but now that I have, I think it's great Sanji's starting to remember, again."

Law pushed away from Sanji with a gruff curse, reaching for the vial of blood he'd stowed away while Sanji recovered, huffing as he frowned up at Luffy. "Occupy him, Strawhat. I'm busy."

"Aw, you're going to stop? But you're having so much fun."

Sanji looked up at Luffy with an embarrassed frown. "I apologize for waking you. This jerk was bothering me."

" _You're_ the jerk, Sanji!"

"Stop YELLING when people are sleeping!" he shouted back, then huffed, pushing his hair from his face as Luffy chuckled.

"C'mon, Sanji, he's working hard to fix you. Come to bed, we'll sleep in here, okay?"

"Luffy, don't talk to me like I'm five years old. I'm not. But I guess I am tired. I'll lay down in this boring room."

"This is _your_ room, Sanji."

"…I wasn't a person of personality, was i?" Sanji asked with a suffering sigh, putting everything back where he'd found it.

"You still are someone with personality! Just in a whole different world," Luffy assured him. He crawled into the bed with a tired sigh, flopping over the space with all his limbs near the edges. When Sanji turned away from the closet, he realized that he'd have to push him aside to get some room, and did so until he had enough space to lie on his side facing the door.

As he finally settled to sleep, he stared at the open doorway, Luffy snoring heavily behind him. His skin tingled, again. He felt intensely lonely. He couldn't understand the earlier feelings he had, wanting so badly of the other man's attention he'd do pretty much anything to get it, even by acting like a child.

He'd have to think about it later in the morning.

But in the morning, he didn't remember much of anything that had happened the day before, and even with Luffy and the others there, he had a hard time understanding how they'd arrived at the condo when all he remembered was luring the Marines away from the Thousand Sunny. Instead of trying to correct him, Luffy asked him to tell him all the stories of his life on the seas, and Law prepared to leave because it was hard listening to such tales when Sanji really remembered nothing of their life at all.

"Make sure Sanji doesn't kill Zeff," he told Zoro on his way out, Zoro looking at him with immense bewilderment.

"Where are you going?" Nami called after him, getting up from the chair to hurry after him.

"To get a few things."

She then hugged him tightly because she knew he was hurting, then pushed away quickly because she knew it was embarrassing for him to receive affection from anybody that knew this.

: :

Bonney lowered her gun, looking at Kid with big eyes. "Eh? For reals? So he found his boyfriend?"

"I'm pretty sure that was him he was dragging along behind him," Kid said with some dejection, using his abilities to render a nearby car into scrap metal to shield him from her gunfire. "I tried to be all sneaky and shit and listen to what was happening, but not long after that, the entire Strawhat crew showed up. Whatever's happening has them all on high alert."

"Then hopefully he finds his damn answers and leaves us alone!" Drake snapped, withdrawing an RPG and firing at both of them while his minions swarmed Bonney's 'girls', all the women fighting back with various weaponry and mastery of hand to hand combat. "You kids are destroying our streets with your fucking gossip! Take this world seriously!"

"Hey! I came out to talk to her, and things turned to this – _you're_ the one that decided to interfere!" Kid snapped at him, looking for an angle to hit him with, but Bonney kept shooting at him to keep him at a distance. The confrontation had started because some of his guys spoke up against Bonney's more aggressive girls, and one thing led to another, with both parties fighting for honor. Drake literally pulled up into the mess on his way downtown and ended up fighting both of them, much to the horror of the civilians around them.

"And all I wanted was some damn tacos!" she howled, pointing at a nearby taco shop. "We weren't doing anything wrong! I was treating my girls to some breakfast!"

" _You_ started shooting at me!"

"You were getting mad about being rejected! I _had_ to start shooting! I'm just a helpless little girl, I'm afraid of bigger men!"

"SHUT UP!"

"This is ridiculous," Drake mumbled, changing form, much to the horror of his minions, and the pair that hastily dropped with they were doing, shouting at everyone to retreat.

Kid took cover behind some cars, Bonney panting as she leaned up against a car shop wall, gun in hand. Drake's dinosaur form roared and pursued their minions through the street, scattering them away from the combat zone.

" _All_ I'm saying, is whatever happened to that guy, more than likely, the love of my life will be occupied with his mistress until he decides to straighten out and pay attention to me, again," Kid continued, Bonney snorting as she reloaded. "If he's looking for answers, he's going to visit the older guys responsible for this. While this is happening, I propose a truce – I want to find out what happened and how it'll affect our future marriage."

"I'll stand by your truce – but if your guys get lippy with my girls once again, it's on, Kid. Oh, and do let me know when your wedding will be – I want to be the one to spike the punch with my latest development of the Tea Party. It's guaranteed to rock your world, _uh_!" Bonney said, miming the action of humping the air.

"No way," Kid said, shaking his head. "I heard your girls get _freaky_. I'm a respectful man with boundaries – your powers of hoe is too much for me."

Bonney just laughed as Drake turned carefully on the street to turn around and seek them out off that sound alone. "You're right, it'd probably turn you straight. I can't be losing my best friend forever, I might have to hump you into marriage."

"Now that's a horror story I'd like to never think about again," Kid said with a shudder, jumping out of the way as Drake's jaws clamped down on the car he was hiding behind, and Bonney made a run for it in the other direction. Once the streets were clear of the riff raff, Drake changed back into human and gave a suffering sigh. He found his driver and he was on his cellphone, calling Krieg with the news he'd just heard.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Ah!**

 **Guest #1: Thanks! :D Ashley is an OC – everyone of these guys has a right hand hench, but I never did catch the name of Drake's, so I made one up. I'm so clever.**

 **SibrianRS: What works shouldn't change! Haha**

 **Guest#2: Oh, they'll see it soon…**

 **Naghi-Tan: He's getting there, finally!**

 **Chapter Nineteen:**

 **When Logic And Proportion…**

Sanji felt lost as the others spoke with each other around him. They'd all left the condo to hit a restaurant nearby, and while talking to them wasn't hard, there was definitely a difference in subject and personality to them that made relating to them impossible. Luffy was still loud, adventuresome and enjoyed a challenge – but as a modern day kid, he was also interested in his cellphone, talking about his favorite tv shows, and visiting his favorite places in town. While he was clearly leader of the group that made their decisions for them, he wasn't the Luffy that Sanji knew, captain of the Thousand Sunny. He wasn't setting course to adventure in any way, or entertaining himself with something silly – Sanji felt lost trying to talk to him about similar things but everything they spoke about went over his head.

Nami asked him various questions about his adventures, and it didn't feel right because she was often there with him. She was still just as gorgeous as he knew her, but reserved, a little less spunky, more affectionate – she held his hand when she noticed he looked overwhelmed, but he felt funny about it. He never thought he'd feel that way – but he felt he shouldn't, and his skin crawled rather than tingled, and even she noticed the difference. She didn't take offense – she looked happy about it. Which confused him because had she only tried because he expected it, or was there absolute truth to Law's words?

And his friendship with Zoro was just as odd, too. This Zoro was so much calmer and respectful than the one he knew. He didn't instigate words between them, but chose to pick his words carefully to keep Sanji calm and on the path with the others, and when they did have their usual insult fests, neither of them made sense to the other. So Sanji sat awkwardly in his seat across from Zoro and didn't know him as well as he thought he did.

Ussop was quieter, here. He spoke up occasionally in response to Luffy's words and actions, but he was more focused on his phone than the world around him. He spoke in 'meme-form', which confused Sanji until Ussop showed him the pictures – but the others understood. All of them laughed and add to a certain moment and Sanji would only smile blankly because he didn't understand the joke, but he enjoyed their jovial attitudes.

Robin was serious and calm, but she clearly didn't fit in with the others. She spoke seriously of various subjects, chuckled with their jokes, but while she was amused at their antics, she chose to keep herself distanced from their actions just to avoid being sucked into the pull of their gravity. It wasn't as if she were a stranger or acquaintance – she just didn't seem to fit their wavelength. When she spoke to Sanji, it was only because she was curious about something in his life that didn't fit this one.

Sanji stared down at his uneaten bacon and eggs, which Luffy didn't even try to grab because he either had his phone in one hand or he was too busy talking to even do so. Everyone in this life looked so much bigger than what he was used to – maybe it was their diets, and while they were all active, they weren't constantly moving as they did in his world. Even he felt bigger in his own skin. When he'd tasted the first bite of his breakfast, it was too salty, too fake, and he kept hearing Hiluluk's voice telling him that eating too much would make him fat. When they occupied themselves with a topic, Sanji looked around and saw that most people were larger here in this world than the other.

Sendatary lifestyles led to bigger people. He wondered if that was why Law was bigger than what he was used to – the Law in his world was so much skinnier and lithe and stalked his path with angry determination – this one strolled and scowled with too much confidence in his position to be worried about any attacks from enemies. But his skin tingled with sensation just at the sight of him, as if it remembered every bit of this relationship they had.

As he looked around the table, he felt lonely, again. He missed his crew. He missed his world. He couldn't quite fit in this one. But he just could not remember how he'd left the sea to be in this place that he was found in.

"Try this," Nami said, holding a forkful of her pancakes in his direction. "If you don't like your food, try this one."

So Sanji tried it, but it was wooden and bland and his facial expression said it all. "There's no flavor to it."

"There's maple syrup and pancake mix. I bet it's Bisquit," she said with a smile, finishing the rest herself. "Have some toast, then."

Sanji noticed a toddler throwing a fit nearby. But instead of soothing and talking to him, his mother only passed him her phone, and the child concentrated more on the flashing screen than interacting with his mother. In fact, half of the people here in this place had their heads bent to look at a screen than they talked to each other. The disconnection of interaction was a troublesome sight to see, not in his world where that was all they had.

"How puzzling all these changes are," he muttered.

"You okay?" Zoro asked him, having cleaned his plate.

"It's so loud in here," Sanji answered, looking at his water.

"Eat half of your stuff, and we'll go. Luffy wants to show you the aquarium."

"But I have the sea for that," Sanji mumbled, looking at his eggs with distaste.

"Here, this usually helps me eat them," Ussop said, reaching over and dumping hot sauce onto it, Nami swatting his arm away with a surprised noise.

Sanji tried it, but his nose wrinkled and he just pushed his plate away. "No, that doesn't taste good, either. Next time, I'd like to cook my own meal."

"That would've been fine, but Law has nothing at his place," Nami said. "He'd always relied on you for your meals."

"Where is he?"

Surprised that he even asked, considering how cold and standoffish he was to him earlier, Nami answered, "He's out looking for clues for your cure. Probably bothering everyone in the syndicates for answers."

"Did we really have a relationship with each other?" Sanji asked, blushing.

"Yes. And you were both very happy," she assured him, reaching out to pat his arm. "We heard a little of it overnight. Both of you are such children with each other, it's terribly embarrassing."

"I thought he was a little more mature than that," Zoro muttered, taking his plate and having to fight off Luffy's hand in the process.

"That's impossible. I've never really spoken to him to know what he's like. Luffy was the only one that truly knew him."

"I don't know him very well," Luffy admitted, drinking up the rest of his soda. "But he's always up to something different, and when I try and tag along, he drags me back home. Bepo is the only one that lets me hang out with him."

Sanji stared at his water again. His thoughts were buzzing, but all that was there was were images of his fight with Doflamingo, his adventures at sea. He missed that life. He missed his real friends. These ones didn't make much sense at all.

"Let's go," Zoro said, putting down some money.

On their way over, Luffy showed him everything that he deemed important, from the city birds that flapped around their heads, the stores he liked to frequent, but it was the constantly moving traffic of the streets, the continuously moving airplanes overhead and the loudness of the entire city that gave Sanji a headache. He'd been on some crowded islands before, but there were too many chemical smells, too much stimulation flashing around him in the form of streetlights, too many people ignoring each other on their way to their destination. Too many cramped spaces. He felt like pulling the hood over his head and clamping his hands over his ears but that would seem so strange to others. When Zoro reached out and hugged him with one arm to the side and walked with him like that, it was so strange and weird that Sanji mistook the friendly action for something else and jerked away from him. Which only embarrassed Zoro because they were usually so physically expressive with their brotherly affection that he didn't think twice of it.

"Oh my," Robin commented at his hurt expression. She reached out and held his hand and he let it happen because she was pretty understanding without having to ask or dissect everything like the others were.

By the time they reached the aquarium, Nami bought them all day passes, and Sanji moped because fish in glass tanks wasn't the best way to view the sea. It was nothing compared to what he was used to, but because his friends were so enthusiastic about it, he tried very hard to get into the mood as they were. But even the fish in his world were small, tired and dull – like all of them lost their glow.

As they were making their way back to the condo, there was a commotion at the end of the block that had Luffy whooping with excitement, holding his hat tightly to his head as he ran for the mess, civilians running against him in order to get away. Interested, Sanji followed, a little mystified when Nami and Robin took a selfie with the action in the background to post to Facebook.

But once they got there, it was only Apoo Scratchman fighting with Arlong. Arlong was mad because Apoo had played his music too loud because his souped-up Chevy Impala was parked nearby, bumping with electronic dance beats. Luffy sailed into action, slamming into Arlong with a greeting while Apoo jerked backward with a surprised yell, his musical features all silencing at once. Zoro went in to help Luffy fend off the fishmen while Apoo shouted at Luffy for interfering, a few of his guys hastily picking up various white packets from the street. Sanji picked one up, wondering what the powder meant.

"This is mine, thank you!" Apoo snapped at him, snatching it away. "Who the hell are you? You a new addition to these brats?"

Sanji had a snarky answer in response, but as he stared at Apoo, he realized he knew nothing about him other than he was one of the Eleven Supernovas. And this one didn't even look like him – his two elbows made his arms stand out at his sides, but his modern day clothing, a bright red puffy jacket over a Hangover t-shirt over skinny jeans and bright Nike shoes, was so different from the robe that he preferred in Seabody Archipealgo.

Apoo stepped up to him, growling, "Cat lost your tongue? You speak English? Or do you need me to speak another one? I know several! What are you, Swedish? French? Norwegian?"

"Leave him alone!" Nami snapped, slapping him upside the head with her Clima-tact and Robin's arms forming around Apoo to pull him back and pin him against the car.

"I wasn't even doing anything!" Apoo protested, trying to reach his body to form something of a sound in order to escape. "Arlong started it!"

"C'mon Sanji, just pick a suit and get to kicking," Nami encouraged him. "All their minions are usually fun to hit around."

Apoo's eyes widened behind his glasses. " _This_ is the fabled Sanji? _Zeff's_ Sanji?"

"In the flesh! Isn't he gorgeous?"

"So you're not dead? I guess that's cool. He's not that impressive, though. I've seen better."

Nami grunted as she jerked to the side, and Robin assisted her with lifting Apoo up and tossing him away from them. Before he even hit the ground, she pushed her Clima-tact forward with a gather of electricity and shocked him.

"Just jump in," Robin encouraged Sanji as she walked forward, helping Nami pick on the syndicate head as she demanded an apology from him.

But Sanji just stood there, watching as this unfamiliar Arlong battled with Luffy, and Zoro battled with Hatchi, and Ussop picked off every minion that was present on the street, hitting them with various home made bombs. When Arlong finally had a chance to breathe, he caught sight of him standing there. He performed a double take and exclaimed, "You're alive? Finally! Everyone can shut up about you being gone!"

"He's alive and well, no thanks to your efforts," Luffy said, returning to him, sitting on his head while his arms clamped around his neck. "So you can tell everybody that he's back! And Law already found out who did it, so he's going to bother them for awhile."

" _Finally_! Peace – and quiet!" Arlong struggled, trying to pull him off. "Stay out of my house, Strawhat!"

"I've no reason to go there, anymore!" Luffy assured him, grinning brightly at Sanji, who only smiled back vaguely.

Later on, as they left the scene, two syndicate heads pissed at their interference, Sanji had nothing to say. He just wanted to go back home. But Luffy wanted to show them their high school, and the parks were they used to look for fights, and everything else in between. When they stopped at a food truck to pick up lunch, Sanji didn't feel like eating at all.

"Where's Zeff?" he asked. "Why haven't I seen him, yet?"

"He's on the trail," Robin told him, looking up from her phone. "Kureha and Chopper disappeared once they found out Hiluluk was in Corazon's custody."

"Dr Kureha? And Chopper?" Sanji thought of the two as they'd met them at Drum Island, and Zoro nodded, brushing off his clothes as they waited their turn at the food truck.

"The mummy. Remember?"

"I remember. She and Chopper nursed us back to health after…" Sanji trailed off because Zoro wouldn't remember, and he started to feel foolish and out of place all over again. Zoro looked at him with worry, and it was such a strange expression from him that Sanji kicked him in the face, causing all of them to react with startled yells. Zoro just held his face with both hands and growled, revealing a bloody nose. And Sanji felt like a bully, bowing low with repentance as his head swam with shame, bewilderment and a strong want to go back home because he just didn't fit in here.

"I'm so _sorry_! You usually block it," he said to the sidewalk.

"It's normal, I was just caught off guard," Zoro said, taking the napkins Nami passed him.

"I'd like to go home. This isn't something I feel comfortable with, anymore."

"I've texted Law to see how he's doing, but I haven't a reply, yet," Ussop said, holding up Luffy's phone. "Hopefully he has good news."

"Not really," came a voice behind him, Shachi leaning on his head. "I've failed at life and school and I feel pretty awesome about it."

"There was a traffic jam back there because of Arlong and Apoo – did you guys do it?" Penguin asked from between Robin and Nami, hanging on their shoulders with a lecherous grin.

"I love this food truck!" Bepo cried. "Please give me all your chimichangas to go!"

"Bear, I love your attitude!" Luffy shouted, hanging on him cheerily as Ussop shoved Shachi away from him and Nami curled up to Penguin with a lecherous smile of her own.

"We haven't heard from senpai in a few hours," Shachi said. "But then we get this text from him, and he's just bossing us around again. What's up, hussy? You feeling overstimulated?"

"It's all the air in his brain, crowding around both brain cells of his," Penguin said, poking Sanji in the temple, Sanji scowling as both of them as they crowded him, too close for his comfort. "Why can't you tell a blond a knock-knock joke?"

"Why?" Shachi asked in a mimicry of his voice, Sanji scowling even harder.

"Because they try to answer the door!"

Both of them slapped their knee and laughed in unison, Sanji's face twisting up with anger before striking out at them. "Jerks! Who the hell are you?"

"How do you confuse a blond, Sanji?" Penguin asked him curiously, Sanji frowning at him. "When he comes out and says he did."

"How does that even happen?" Shachi laughed, Sanji growling as he tried to decide who was closest to him to strike out at, but both of them were walking around the Strawhats like cats weaving through legs.

Bepo looking back with concern as Luffy stole some of the warm tinfoil wrapped treats and Zoro frowned at them.

"Wow, he's right, he really doesn't respond to our charms," Penguin observed with a frown. "I thought some of the chemicals Hiluluk was giving him would at least wear off a bit. Senpai mentioned that he was feeling sick, but he thought it was only motion sickness. Anything other than his different attitude?"

"He must've been giving him a steady diet. As a result, his system might be built up with the medication before he goes into withdrawal," Shachi observed from behind Zoro, the swordsman swatting at him indifferently. "It could be some time before he hits that stage. I'd give it at least a day, and by that time, senpai will have it figured out."

"He hasn't eaten," Nami said with concern, trying to snatch off with Shachi's hat because it had been so long since she'd seen him.

"Hiluluk's fault. He kept calling him fat and may have caused him an aversion to food, so he'll come up with excuses not to eat. That was probably to ensure that his medication continued to work as it did, easier to enter the system. Just keep working on it. Make him cook for himself."

"I'm standing right here," Sanji said, glaring at him. "Don't prescribe anything over my damn head."

"That man truly was despicable, wasn't he? And for what reason?" Nami asked, forehead furrowed with concern as she drifted over to Sanji and hugged him from behind. He wiggled out of her grasp, annoyed with his own reaction.

"Revenge against Zeff," Penguin answered, adjusting his ear flaps. "Duh."

"How are we supposed to know that!"

"Listen, Strawhats, the main thing here is that you keep an eye on him. Anything unusual, text Law or tell him about it. We've got to run – I've got these finals I need to complete, and Penguin's shift is coming up. You're going to miss us," Shachi said, drifting behind Robin, the woman turning with an amused look to see where he went but it surprised even her that she didn't see him anywhere after that.

"Sleep in fear, he might end up trying to kill you all because of Hiluluk," Penguin teased over Sanji's shoulder, ducking underneath his reach and darting around Nami as she reached for his hat. When she gave chase, he ducked into a group of tourists that were taking pictures of Bepo and Luffy eating their food.

"They're just teasing you, they missed having someone to tease," Bepo told them all, giving Luffy his share of chimichangas before backflipping over the truck and running up a nearby alley.

'That was almost cool," Ussop said, his expression full with awe. "They never show their faces so they can disappear into crowds real easily. Almost like ninjas."

"I want to be a ninja!" Luffy cried, mouth full.

"You already show up in peoples' homes without them knowing!"

"Hiluluk had him for the past three years," Robin murmured to Zoro as Sanji looked around with bewildered action, wondering who the men were. "There's no telling what he must have implanted in him in all that time."

"We're not weaklings, we're not going to fall that easily," Zoro assured her, walking up to Sanji, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Let's go home and rest up. Or would like you to go shopping for something you feel more comfortable in?"

"We can buy you an outfit, Sanji!" Nami said with glee, delighted at the prospect of dressing him.

"No, I just want to go home – I mean, go back…to the condo. I'm tired."

"He's got nearly nine more hours before he resets, hopefully Law's back by then," Robin said, looking at her watch.

Meanwhile, Law waited patiently for Dr Hogback to find the flashdrive he'd stored the letter containing the original Tea Party formula in, but the man was having problems cooperating, nearly weeping as he tore his office apart. It probably didn't help that Law was examining his heart in one hand, Absalom watching him with a horrified look on his mismatched face.

"Why are you so nervous?" Law asked Dr Hogback curiously, giving the organ a small squeeze. The doctor nearly collapsed against his bookshelf as he gasped, clutching his chest with abject horror. "This thing is beating almost as fast as a rabbit's."

"I can't seem to find it," Dr Hogback confessed, hands shifting up to his face. "It was here. I swear it! I only gave a copy to Eustass Kid when he came here looking for it – so I should still have the original!"

"Well…keep on looking for it," Law encouraged him lightly, squeezing again. "I'll be back in approximately two hours. That's sufficient enough time for you to find what I'd requested."

"Look…I received the call from Krieg. Your …boyfriend was found. Why are you still harassing us?" Dr Hogback asked in exasperation. "Shouldn't you be cuddling, or something? Catching up on lost time?"

"You don't have time for my nonsense. You now have an hour and fifty eight minutes before I return," Law said, making a quick gesture and disappearing out of his office.

Dr Hogback growled, slamming his hands atop of the desk with frustration. "Damn it! Absalom! It was here! I know it was!"

"It was," Absalom agreed, looking puzzled. "And I'm positive you'd only given Kid a copy."

Muttering, Dr Hogback picked up his phone and made a call.

Kid was busy dreaming over his future wedding plans, Killer watching the latest episode of Tru TV when Law appeared in front of them, causing both of them to explode from the couch with startled cries. Kid dropped his beer and Killer clutched the remote to his chest as Law looked around himself with a disgusted expression.

"I thought I was messy," he muttered, observing half empty bottles of liquor and alcohol lying in various areas; it looked like they'd had a party, a woman passed out on the floor nearby, a couple of guys curled up on the easy chair, fast food from various places spread out on table surfaces and kitchen counter tops. "This is a health code violation, I'm sure."

Kid looked at him with an admiring scan. He really liked the jeans that showed off a high, rounded ass and long legs. The t-shirt with his insignia showed off a slim torso, and the fitted black jacket that emphasized wide, muscular shoulders. He held his sword over his shoulders, so the t-shirt lifted just enough show off a sliver of skin just above the waistband of his jeans. He had to suck back drool just to speak. "What do you want? You gave me a heart attack!"

"Dr Hogback's Tea Party formula. In hand. _Now_."

"I got it from him!"

"And he said he gave it to you. Make this easy and just give it to me."

"Give it…to…you?" Kid repeated, looking at him with a hungry expression.

"The _formula_ , Kid," Killer told him patiently.

"Oh. _Yeah_. Well. Come to my lab. I'll show you."

"I don't want to go anywhere. I kind of just want to stand here without stepping into anything that's been left there from the night before."

"Most of these turds were all tripping out on the Tea Party," Kid said. "We've got the most potent formula there is. Even Bonney's can't compare, and Hogback's is a joke. We put a little something extra in it, to give it that juice."

"Disgusting. Just get it."

"Or what?"

"Or I take something of yours that you might need," Law said, holding up Dr Hogback's heart, Kid giving a startled shriek as he jerked away from it.

"Is that a _real_ heart?" Kid asked, utterly amazed as he watched it beat within Law's grasp. His eyes widened and his mouth dropped open, and he swore he fell in love in harder than ever as Law gave him a slight smirk. "That is the most brutal thing I've ever seen in my life. How is it possible?"

"How do you like your dick, Kid? Are you attached to it?"

"KILLER! GET IT! WHY ARE YOU JUST STANDING THERE?"

Killer ran off while Kid jumped back from Law as he turned and looked at the tv with a frown. Nervously, Kid swiped his hands through his hair and looked down at himself, brushing off his clothes and trying to look presentable, but he was still wearing his clothes from the night before and his nail color was chipped and - !

"Look, man, why don't we cut a deal?" Kid suggested, wiping his hands together. "How about I help you, in exchange for a favor of my own?"

"No."

"I didn't even offer it, yet. Look, here's my problem – "

"I really don't care."

"Just listen! As a brilliant younger man looking for a footing in this world of power and chaos, I just want advice on what I could do to strengthen my base. The old codgers are losing control of themselves and the world that they thought they knew because we're more familiar with what the world wants. So! I was wondering if you could possibly assist me with ruling this side of the kingdom with me. Together, we'd be unstoppable."

Law stared at him for a few seconds, then furrowed his eyebrows. "You must've been the slow child in school."

"An ordinary guy might've slapped you for such an un-PC comment that clearly illuminates your small minded attitude towards children with mental disabilities. I'm no ordinary guy, I don't slap. But I will protest. How does it feel being such a goddamn asshole?"

"Pretty good, actually."

"Are you wearing contacts?"

"Quit breathing on my hat."

"I'm, like, so big compared to you. How's it feel looking up to another man, huh?"

After that comment was made, Law looked at him suspiciously. " _What. The. Hell_."

"You're playing hard to get –all I need is someone else to help rule my kingdom with me, and it looks like you're an organized person. That's all im saying. Obviously, I'm not that good at making my own decisions, and you're doing this little cat and mouse thing with all the syndicates with your terrorism, and that's hot. _I mean_ , admirable. I could use a guy like you for my group. It'd be totally metal."

"Can you _not_? I'm tasting your goddamn Cheetos with every word you speak."

Kid looked at his hands, stained with orange coloring. When Killer finally hurried over with a stack of papers, Law looked at them with disbelief. From front to back, there were scribbles all over them, rendering it illegible. Then he looked at Kid.

Kid shrugged a shoulder. "I made that bitch mine. So what?"

"Is this the original - ?"

"Yeah. This is what Hogback gave me. I added on a few things of my own. Look. This black ink is mine, this purple ink is Killer's, and Heat's the blue, and stupid Wire used red. I don't know what Bonney did with hers - "

"She has it, too?"

"Yeah, she got it from me – _damn it_!" Kid then cursed as Law disappeared, leaving the papers behind. With a dramatic whirl away, hands in his hair, he yelled out in frustration, "I just can't catch him!"

"Maybe because he's already been caught," Killer mumbled, picking up the papers he'd tore the lab apart looking for. But Kid was already on his phone, calling Bonney, looking for his car keys. Killer sighed, shaking his helmeted head, and dragged his feet behind him as he followed after the other man to his car.

What neither man knew was that Law was in their lab, gathering up their vials and putting them into a briefcase, because he'd already seen Bonney's 'lair' – that was one place he refused to venture, to.

When he finally arrived back at the condo an hour later, having returned Dr Hogback's heart to him, he was exhausted. The lack of sleep caught up to him, and he saw that Zoro was napping on the couch, Robin was reading one of his books, and Luffy was sprawled over the kitchen table with a bunch of chimichangas as a pillow.

"Nami and Ussop went for groceries, and Sanji is in his room," Robin told him with a smile. "Zeff still hasn't arrived."

Law wondered if he should be concerned, acknowledging her with a nod and walking to his room. He set the briefcase aside and crossed the hall to Sanji's, finding the man sitting on his bed with a lost expression to his face. He truly looked upset, and it made Law want to do impossible things to chase it away. So he did the next best thing.

He leaned over and kissed the man before Sanji could even react, pulling away with, "Don't worry, I'm home, now. I know you've been missing me as much as I've been missing you."

Red faced, Sanji covered his mouth with both hands, looking up at him with horror. Law left his room and returned to his, looking at his cold pot of coffee with a frown. He headed to the kitchen to push it into the microwave and touched a few buttons. But the door was pulled open and the numbers reset as Robin's arms denied that effort.

"No. Sleep," she said from the living room, turning a page. "You cannot microwave a coffee pot. You'll start a fire."

With a disgusted expression, Law tried to shoo the arms away from the countertop, but they slapped back at him, so he rummaged through the fridge and cupboards for the energy drink he remembered seeing some time ago, and found it in the very back of the pantry. He opened that and went back to his room, looking at the briefcase with an examining expression. He knew Shachi had gone back to his home town to finish out finals week – finish his damn thesis – and Penguin had to finish out the rest of his shift with a doctor's note – that Law wrote himself – so he couldn't get their help right away. he texted Bepo for his whereabouts, but Bepo told him he'd only help if he got some sleep.

With a frustrated expression, Law crossed the hall to Sanji's room once more, the man looking at him with caution. "I need a fifteen minute nap," Law said to him, crawling onto the bed and resting his head atop one slim thigh.

"Why here?" Sanji asked sullenly.

"Because I'll sleep better knowing you're here," Law replied, reaching up and curling an arm around his waist, causing Sanji to stiffen and jerk his hands up, not wanting them to be caught in odd places. But once he was comfortable, Law closed his eyes and felt the full body effect of relaxing as Sanji accepted his fate.

Sanji sat in silence, carefully lowering his hand to rest over his stomach to avoid touching Law, and resting his other hand on the bed. He continued staring at the contents of the room, running today through his tired mind, struggling to remember various things that came up with the thoughts he found. He felt the resulting twitch and jerk of Law falling asleep, and he looked down at him, reddening once more as he remembered the earlier kiss. It had been a brief and unexpected touch, and yet it caused a confusing explosion of heat and warmth and discomforting neediness in him that wanted more. He was confused with his physical feelings – why were they so independent of his emotions?

He watched a booted foot kick suddenly, full body twitch causing Law to snore slightly. Sanji looked down at him once more, feeling his fingers curl against his hip. They tightened for a brief moment, and Sanji pulled his hand from his stomach to settle very gently atop of Law's chest. His hand twitched on its own, that want for sensation causing his palm and fingers to tingle. He rested the weight of his hand fully on his chest – he couldn't imagine doing this to the Law of his world. That one would never leave himself this vulnerable to somebody he barely knew. That one would never look at him the way this one did. That one would never even kiss him, or greet him or seek him out or –

He leaned back against the wall. There was a war happening inside of himself, and he couldn't sort through it properly. He just wasn't sure who the opponents were. He looked down at his borrowed clothing, making a face. He wore pajamas the entire day. 'Fashionable' sweat pants, a t-shirt that didn't fit him, a sweater that wasn't his. All the other man's. He tried to imagine the Law of his world offering him his jacket or his feather lined sweater and couldn't see it. But this one was so easy to give out anything that Sanji needed without Sanji asking.

If he gave in to the discomfort, would this be shameful for him when he returned to the others and looked the other man in the face? Would taking the company of another man be something he'd continue to expect to have if he were given a chance? He touched his lips. He tried not to think about Alabasta, but that secret had never left him. He was only reminded of a pleasant and fond memory. Maybe this one, too, could be something like that.

He reached out and cautiously touched wild black hair. Then exhaled heavily as he pulled his hand away, to let the man sleep peacefully while he needed it. The place was so quiet, save for Zoro's snores in the front room, the turning of pages as Robin read her book, Luffy's sleep noises as he dreamed of eating food – Sanji felt sleepy, himself. He turned his head to the side and closed his eyes, resting his hands over his growling stomach. Not even five minutes later, he felt the other man shift, waking up with a lift of his head, and Sanji blearily opened his eyes because the mood was broken.

He felt Law grab him, then, forcing him from his sitting position down onto the bed, causing him to react with a startled noise and a flail of his arms as Law adjusted his own position so that they were facing in the same direction. Sanji stiffened up as the man held him tightly, his mind racing with panicked thought. Should he fight? Or accept as it for now, knowing that it could stay a secret when he returned to the others? They didn't have to know – they didn't need to know how he felt when this Law looked at him, or the way he responded to his touch, or that he could accept a thousand more kisses from him because the feeling he felt when it happened felt natural and amazing. He didn't have to tell his friends that – but what if when he returned, the Law that he knew looked at them funny because of this one's actions? Or what if he expected the same treatment from him?

How did that work?

He felt the man's eyes on him, and he looked at him from the corner of his.

"Don't think so hard, you're keeping me awake," Law mumbled.

Sanji licked his lips, putting his thoughts in order before saying, "If you're looking for this cure to straighten out what Hiluluk did, what will happen?"

"You'll get your memory back. The medication would be flushed out of your system."

Sanji wondered if that meant for him – remembering how he got to land would be nice – or for the Sanji whose spot he took. This Sanji with a terrible personality, ugly taste in clothes, who loved older men.

"So…if that happens…what happens to me, do you think? As a person with a conscious ability to think and feel and know that I am lost and have friends to go back to, do you think I'll find my way home, or will I'll just…disappear?"

The silence was intense for a few moments, then Law lifted his head and looked at him, wide awake.

"Will I die and never find my way back home? Will my friends ever learn of my fate? Meanwhile, this world's Sanji will finally be here in your arms, but what will truly happen to me?"

"Dr Hiluluk gave you medication that he created which causes intense hallucinatory effects that allows a user to truly believe in those temporary delusions. You're still Sanji, you've just been directed into a different path from what we're all used to. He closed you up in a world where you only think you're this pirate. You're not actually a pirate. You never were."

"Then explain why this world is difficult for me to accept. Why my friends are different from this world's? Why nothing about this world makes sense to me – if I grew up in it, why is it new?"

"It's your delusion, Sanji. You were under his duress for three years – enough time for him to convince you that you don't know what this world is. He gave you enough description, content and false memories to convince you that you're not from here."

"Is it? Do you know this for sure? What if the Sanji that you know is in my world? A transference of souls between realities? If you retrieve his, will I be returned to mine?"

"This is all just imagination at work. You never were a pirate. You were a happy, hormonal teenager who just started to smoke, wanted to go to culinary college in San Francisco," this was said with immense disgust, making Sanji wonder what sort of place this was, "and wanted me to wait on your ass despite giving the go ahead every time we fooled around."

"I started smoking when I was ten."

"Zeff should've been kicked for that."

"Pirates do what they want."

"You never were a pirate," Law said, looking at his watch. He gave a tired sigh, wiping his face. "What do you remember about this Hiluluk? What made him important to you?"

"He's Chopper's father figure. He adopted Chopper. He was helping me because of that connection."

"What would he say to you, Sanji?"

"That's a weird question to ask – he recognized me right off. He wanted to help. After the Marines left me there, he was in charge of me so I wouldn't be transferred to another compound, or turned over to the World Government."

"What would he give you to drink?"

"It wasn't pleasant, but he gave me tea."

"How many times a day?"

"I was only there for a couple of hours, so only once."

Law estimated maybe twice a day. But for how long? Kid's vials were barely finger full – did Hiluluk start off small and end up having to up the dosage as Sanji grew used to it? And what had it done to his insides? His bloodwork came back fine, but there were more tests to administer to see if Sanji's body was affected in any way by the chemical compounds.

He leaned in and sniffed him, Sanji reacting with a startled push away. "You don't have a chemical smell to you. Does food taste funny when you eat it?"

"This world's food is terrible."

"I need to take saliva samples. How much did you eat, today?"

"Just a few bites."

Law remembered seeing the half eaten sandwich and the stale chips. He pushed away from Sanji, walking to his room to get back to work. Sanji just laid there for a few moments, scowling at the ceiling because as soon as Law left him, he felt cold and lonely again. having the man up against him gave him support he didn't know his body needed. Now that it was gone, he felt alone and miserable. He got up from the bed and stalked after him.

"Quit leaving me so suddenly! And you never did answer my question!"

"I did. Now leave me alone, I need to figure this out."

"What is this?" Sanji then asked, looking into the briefcase and spying different vials.

"This is the Tea Party. You mix them up to obtain a different hallucinatory effect. I have to break them down to see what they're made of since the original formula was fucked up, figure out what Hiluluk gave to you, and once I have that, I can find a different solution to offset the effects you're currently suffering."

"I'm not suffering," Sanji mumbled, picking up a couple of vials and looking at them with a frown. Law carefully pulled them away from him, restocked them back into the briefcase and pulled that out of his reach.

"Where did you find these?"

"Kid's place."

"'Kid'? Eustass Kid?"

"Do you know him?"

"Not personally. But he was at the auction house. Tall with red hair."

"Creepy stare? Yes. His house."

"So he's here, too," Sanji murmured, looking around his room for a few moments, drifting from one spot to the other before asking, "What about Luffy's older brother?"

"…Ace? Yes."

"No tragedies here," Law heard Sanji mumbled, a pile of books crashing to the floor. "Oops."

"Sanji -!"

"I'm sorry," Sanji said, heaving a sigh, walking out of his room and crossing into his. Law heard the bed shift as he climbed back onto it. Relieved, Law went back to work. Once his notes were sorted out the way he'd wanted them to be, he added a few more observations to one of them, then began sorting the vials carefully in order that he'd taken them. He heard Nami and Ussop come back, the sound of their plastic bags rustling, and he looked at his watch. Their cheery voices should have been enough for Sanji to come out of his room, but the man didn't leave the bed. Law wondered if he'd fallen asleep.

Law exhaled heavily. He looked over all his notes spread out on the desk, at the ones pinned up on the board. All the numbers and observations swarmed in one spot, and the briefcase was calling his name. But then someone else was, too. He rummaged through the drawers of the dresser nearby and stalked into Sanji's room, finding him in the same spot, looking lost.

"Fine. Look. Three hours. Three hours, and then after that, you leave me alone so I can figure this out, all right?"

"It's not that I was seeking your attention, I was only asking – "

"I'm going to take a shower, we'll go find you some goddamn clothes."

"It's no trouble, I'll just look through some of yours – "

"I don't want you wearing my clothes! It's a goddamn invitation, alright?"

" 'Invitation' to _what_?" Sanji exclaimed.

"Invitation to me taking them off you and – "

"STOP! Okay. Fine. Don't say things like that!"

"I was just going to say, take them off you and put them away because I don't like sharing."

Sanji stared at him, unsure of what sort of face to make. "Oh."

"Then have you wear _only_ this," Law said, holding up an apron.

"You're such a pervert!" Sanji exclaimed, reddening from the face down, looking at him with clear horror.

Law looked back at him, affronted. "How dare you forget this? I will never forgive you. If you want me to, you'll have to wear it, now."

Sanji stared at him, unsure of what face to make, but he suddenly laughed. "No."

"Why not?"

"I can't do that. That's…not something men should do for each other."

"Why not?"

"Out in the seas, we don't have relationships with each other. We have arrangements."

Law lowered the apron and pinned him with a unblinking stare. "And did you have one with anyone?"

Sanji was reluctant to answer. He looked off to the side, lips tight. Then said, "That's not something we discuss as part of the arrangement. Just in case there's a time where settling down is a possibility – "

"Sanji. Did you have relations with another man?"

Because Law's entire attitude and manner changed in a second, Sanji swallowed tightly. "Yes. It doesn't mean anything. It's life or death out there, and one has to experience every second of it, take chances and risks when possible –"

"Who."

"I'm not saying 'who' because it's none of your business – "

"With _who_ , Sanji? Anyone here that I should know about? Explain!"

"Mmm…no. I'm still not answering that question. I'm afraid I can't explain myself, because I'm not myself, you see?"

"If you're having 'relations' with a man on the high fucking seas, I want to know who. Because if anyone touched you while you're in this state, well – I've never killed anyone before, but I'll definitely know how as soon as I get the name."

But Sanji clamped his lips tight and refused to say anymore, looking back at him defiantly while Law stared at him with rising frustration and panic. The thought of anyone taking advantage of this man in this state was enough to render him furious, and he jerked away from Sanji, snatching his phone out of his pocket.

"Doffy, get over to that house and get those negotiation skills ready. Leave Cora out of it. I'll meet you there."

"But I'm waiting for my chicken wings! And how dare you order me around like you're in charge of me? Nobody is!"

"Do it, or I'll release to the public what your favorite movie is, I have the picture to do it, too."

"You dastardly piece of shit. You wouldn't."

Law hung up on him, found the picture he mentioned, and sent it to Doflamingo as he slammed his door shut. He grabbed his sword and then his winter jacket, and headed for the front door without saying anything to anybody. The Strawhats looked after him with bewildered action, and Sanji sat on the bed, confused. When Robin peered into his room with a curious look, he shrugged.

Hours later, Law returned to the condo to find the kitchen a huge mess. But the food smelled delicious, and there were dishes there that he'd never seen, before. All of them were seated at the dinner table, and Luffy shouted for him with glee, waving at him to come sit down. His stomach rumbled, reminding him that he'd been on the move all day and hadn't eaten anything since yesterday. Sanji was sitting at the table between Robin and Nami, picking at the food on his plate, looking at him with surprise. Their jovial smiles and attitude was enough to make Law glare at them, then walk off, slamming the door shut.

" _Well_ ," Nami said, cutting into her ham. "Guess he wasn't hungry."

"This doesn't taste good," Sanji said, picking at his vegetables before pushing the plate aside. "I'm going to clean up."

"Go take him a plate, Sanji," Robin said, hands lifting from the table to hold up an extra plate, others already taking the task of loading it up. "You wouldn't want him to starve, would you?"

Sanji took it with a wrinkled nose, unsure of what to say to such an anti-social man. He walked away from the table, Luffy giving a tired heave of breath.

"I hope Law finds a cure, soon. This is exhausting," Luffy said in a low tone. "He doesn't remember anything that happened at all, today."

"At least he isn't sad, anymore," Nami commented. "But it does suck that he has to start all over again when it comes to things. What can we do to help?"

"Zeff still hasn't come back."

"Guys, it's time we find out on our own what we have to do to make Sanji return to normal," Luffy said. "I know Law's working on it, but we need to do something. I feel helpless!"

"We all do, but we've got to do this carefully," Zoro said, looking around the table. "Ussop, pass me the fish."

"Just trade me spots," Ussop grumbled, leaving his chair, Zoro rolling his eyes and leaving his to switch seats. He found the dish he was looking for, and Nami just shook her head at both of them.

Luffy rose from his, palms on the table. "After this, we set out! We can leave Sanji with Law – Law said he was working on a cure, and those guys said that Sanji should be going through withdrawal, soon. Let's go over to Dr Hogback's and see what we can do to get him to talk to us about stabilizing him."

"That is the most clever thing I've heard!"

"You're two days wrong, Ussop! I've said cleverer things back then, too!"

Ussop blinked, wondering what that meant.

"Switch me spots, Nami," Robin said to her with a smile. "I'd like to sit closer to the salad."

"What kind of dinner table is this?" Nami grumbled, getting up from her seat and taking her chair while Robin took hers, Zoro frowning at both of them.

Meanwhile, Sanji knocked on the door to Law's room, and when he answered, looking dark and gloomy, Sanji frowned at him, unlit cigarette dangling from his mouth.

"It's dinner time. You haven't eaten, yet, have you, shithead?" Sanji asked.

Law looked at his watch, and realized he'd missed another reset period. With frustration, he snatched the plate from his hand and slammed the door shut on him. Sanji gaped at the treatment, then kicked it.

" _Rude_!"

It opened, and Law grabbed him, yanking him inside. Before he could catch himself, Law held him in both hands just above the floor.

"Who did you have relations with on the high seas?" he asked, Sanji looking at him with a startled expression.

"Who the hell told you I had any?" Sanji asked in bewilderment. "And what the hell do you care? I'm not that desperate of a person to have any sort of 'relations' to any man!"

Law dropped him, and Sanji hit the floor with a grunt, sitting up to give him a startled look. "Hiluluk admitted that he'd only made the suggestion because he knew of our relationship," he muttered, kicking his desk chair aside. "He knew it'd piss me off!"

" _What are you talking about_?"

"Sanji, you're not a pirate. You never were. When I find a cure for this, you'll be the man you were supposed to be," Law said, looking at his plate with contemplation. He didn't know what any of it was. He paused in speaking just to push at some of it with a frown. "What is this?"

"You'll eat every bite of it," Sanji warned, rising from the floor and looking over his shoulder. "Look – barigoule of spring vegetables, with vanilla flavored broth. Try some."

Law stared at it with distrust, feeling so many different things at the moment. A combination of frustration, anger, relief, suspicion – heartache – nothing made sense with Sanji, and he felt he would go crazy if he kept explaining to the man that they had a relationship. But looking at the combination of food before him, he was brought back to the times when Sanji made his meals and spent his freetime looking up recipes on Instagram and Pinterest and pointing them out to him. This dish had been one of them.

"I won't eat any of it."

"Why not, you bastard?" Sanji growled at him, growing insulted.

"Unless you personally feed it to me."

Sanji withdrew from him with horror, Law looking at him with a smirk.

"That's a weird thing to request of another man," Sanji stated. "Why?"

"Because I just won't. Now, do it. Before it gets cold, and I have to give it to Luffy, again. And it'll be your fault I starved."

"You childish bastard! I'll cram it all into your mouth!"

"Now that's not a nice thing to say to another man, Sanji. Are you feeling homo tendencies?"

Sanji turned bright red, nearly purple, fists clenched. He looked ready to explode. Law sat at the edge of his desk and opened his mouth, pointing at it. "Ah."

"YOU - ! You _fiend_!"

"Lordly speech just makes me even worse."

"This is not something I ever want to be caught doing," Sanji muttered, burning with embarrassment he reached for the plate and a spoon. Once he had some vegetables and broth ladled, he closed his eyes with mortification and then carefully maneuvered the content between Law's teeth.

Law looked at him as he chewed, saying, "Did you just open your mouth wide at the same time?"

"NO!"

"For a second, you looked like one of those mothers showing her baby how to eat by doing the exact thing she wanted her baby to do. You're such a mother homo, Sanji."

"I'll help you chew!" Sanji snarled, reaching for his jaw and mashing it shut, causing Law's head to jerk back. "Don't talk with your mouth full, you rude heathen!"

"Stop! Hands off! I need another bite. That stuff wasn't bad, but what's the other thing that smells funny?"

"Cassoulet au canard, you childish prick. Open wide."

"If it tastes gross, I'm spitting it out."

"And I'll just cram it back in!"

"Sanji, you're such a forceful seme," Law uttered, turning his head away with a helpless expression. "Take it easy on me. I'm new at this."

"WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?" Sanji roared, red-faced. But Law watched as Sanji opened his own mouth wide as he carefully maneuvered the meat rich casserole in between his teeth.

"You did it again. I truly feel like a baby being fed," he said, chewing carefully as Sanji snarled at him. He wondered when Sanji would notice that he was holding onto his hips, Sanji so focused on feeding him that Law had reached for him when he'd scooped up some of the casserole earlier.

"FEED YOURSELF."

Law chewed carefully, watching his expression, unable to stop himself from feeling all the emotions he did as Sanji watched him eat. "I was this close to vomiting. Hopefully the next thing doesn't taste like greasy ass. You have one more chance to win my approval before I go and get Taco Bell."

"Did you just insult my cooking again?" Sanji asked, snatching the collar of his shirt with veins rising at his temple, skin growing flushed.

"You're so aggressive. I feel like if I say 'no', you're just going to take it, anyway. I wasn't ready for this. You need to be slow and gentle with me. I'm just a boy."

"Why do I feel like murdering you?"

"You have delicate, girly hands, but they have the strength of a man. I don't feel comfortable around you. You're a predator. I feel afraid. What's the next dish?"

Sanji cut into the item very carefully, egg yolk running over the hidden item underneath as Law held his mouth open. Easing it in and waiting for him to chew, he answered, "Croque tartene parisenne."

"When you say those things, I feel an odd warmth in my no-no places."

"I will _kick_ you in those no-no places, damn you, you perverted freakish bastard. Do you like?"

"It's not that bad, actually."

Sanji finally noticed where Law's hands were and slapped them away with a startled gasp, red-faced. Then he felt better about the trick as Law rubbed the backs of his hands with a hurt expression. "It's a ham-egg-cheese half _sandwich_ , you picky shithead."

Then Sanji reacted with horror as Law spit it out, wiping his tongue with a disgusted expression, pushing away from the desk. "Ugh, _gross_. Disgusting! You know I hate it! You're such a hateful dick, Sanji."

Sanji grabbed him into a headlock, slamming him against the wall, grabbing the rest of the sandwich. Then he crammed it into his mouth with a forceful growl, Law reacting with a push against him, trying to escape. Sanji clamped his hands over his mouth and nose so he either had to choke or swallow. When Law made to get away, Sanji just climbed onto his back and wrapped his legs around him, interlocking his fingers and tightening his arms.

"EAT IT, you big man-child! You'll eat EVERY FUCKING CRUMB! OR DIE."

In the end, Law swallowed it because he needed to breathe, but he laid over the floor, coughing and gasping for air, Sanji standing over him with a smug expression, wiping his hands on his pants.

"I win. Jerk."

When he made to leave, Law reached out and grabbed his ankle, and yanked him back. Sanji tried to get away, reaching for the doorway, falling to the floor with an awkward yelp as Law used his weight and size to pin him down. Once he had a secure position over Sanji's back, he reached for the plate atop of the desk, snatching the fork that Sanji had brought with it. Licking his lips as Sanji tried to get loose, pulling at the carpet, he said, "My turn to feed you. And I won't be so nice about it. I have all night. We can do this the hard way, or you can submit to me. Either way, I'm going to fill you up. Get that orifice stretched, Sanji. I'm coming in hot."

 _I'm going to stay out of this one_ , Luffy decided after hearing that, walking away from the room as Sanji screamed.

When most of the plate was cleared with both of their efforts, Law set the plate aside. He realized he didn't hear from the others out in front, and rose up from Sanji, the other looking as if he were going to either cry or vomit. He saw that they'd cleaned up the mess in the kitchen and dining room, and Robin had left him a note taped to the clean table.

Once he saw what their intentions were, he scoffed, crumbling the note into a ball and tossing it towards the trashcan.

He looked at Sanji as he walked up the hall, wiping his food stained face with one hand. Law smiled at him affectionately, enjoying the sight of him in his clothes, and just him in general. Sanji looked at him, then frowned at his expression.

"Creepy homo," he said sullenly.

"You bully."

"YOU ARE!" Sanji snapped at him, looking at the kitchen and dining room with surprise. "Where'd they go?"

"They had a mission. Come here. You've got crumbs on your face. You clearly can't take care of yourself."

"I will kill you if you touch me again."

"We've got another hour, let's go get you some clothes. You can't expect to wear that outfit all the time, now, do you? I mean, I understand you'd want to dress down occasionally, but all the time?"

"Go shopping together? Isn't that a little gay?"

"Well, if you'd keep your hands to yourself, it wouldn't be so gay. I'm feeling manhandled all the time."

"You and your insinuations! But, yes, I'd like to get out and find something a little more comfortable than this," Sanji admitted, looking down at the hooded sweater and jogger pants he'd been wearing. "You won't mind that I have to rely on you?"

"No, Sanji, never."

Sanji felt that tickle in the senses, again. Because it wasn't said with sarcasm or irritation, and when Law looked at him, it wasn't with anything negative in his expression. He looked at Sanji as if he were prepared to jump if Sanji asked. This strange emotion he felt at recognizing this made him feel self-conscious and too aware of the other man. He felt too comfortable, and he felt he hadn't said enough, but he wasn't sure what else he was supposed to say.

Nearly a half hour later, Law was looking at his phone, noting that the Strawhats had 'attacked' Dr Hogback. Bonney's girls were causing chaos at Crocodile's casino, Apoo was conducting an EDM concert without the proper permits at some high school dance, causing a ruckus with law enforcement because he was also giving out Tea Party favors to everyone that showed up. Kid was asking everybody where Law's last known location was – stalker – and Krieg was looking for his hench, Gin, who seemed to have disappeared. It was just another busy night, but it was nothing that involved him.

The tailor was working on measuring the other man, another already hemming up a pair of slacks that Sanji had wanted. He had made it clear that everything Sanji wanted was no problem, much to Sanji's embarrassment. The shop was closed to other customers at that time, but since the owner was familiar with the Donquixote family, they made an exception for their troublesome son and his boyfriend.

When a couple of outfits were finished, extras being wrapped in nice paper and fitted into bags, Law looked over to see Sanji smiling at himself in a mirror, tying the final knot in his tie and looking entirely delectable in a pink shirt with a black vest, fitted slacks that hugged curves too perfectly, hems falling just right over leather oxford shoes.

He tried to control the reaction on his face, but it was impossible not to when Sanji looked so satisfied and so much more confident in his presentation than he did earlier. He turned to Law as he fixed his cuffs, glowing. Then he frowned, saying, "You've got a nosebleed, ass."

"It's all your fault," Law mumbled, turning away and grabbed a handful of napkins that the assistant brought out for him.

"I didn't even touch you."

After handing over his credit card, Law looked after him once more. There had to be rules against how attractive another man could be to another. He couldn't stop staring after him, fumbling with the bags that were set out for him to grab, Sanji admiring the fit of his shoes, bending a little just to adjust the heel. Then he turned and looked at him, grinning brightly.

"Thank you, Law!"

"You're welcome. You look amazing, by the way," Law told him as the door was unlocked to let them out, Sanji thanking the tailor and his assistant with appreciation.

The night was cold and the wind that had picked up was chilly, almost lifting his hat from his head as it blasted the streets with an incoming snow storm. Hands full, Law tilted his head to try and maneuver his hat back into place, but Sanji saw the struggle and reached up to help him pull it on.

Most surprising of all, Sanji lifted onto his tiptoes and kissed him, hands cradling his face. He pulled back while Law looked at him with stunned action, unable to say anything.

Sanji snickered. "You look like such a fucking perv. Homo."

" _Sanji_?" Law questioned, hardly able to breathe as traces of the one he knew left that teasing expression.

"What?"

Sanji waited for him to say something else, looking up at him with expectation. Then he shivered, reaching down to zip up his jacket. He then reached over and did the same to Law's jacket before patting his cheek. "Let's go. When it starts snowing, traffic is going to suck balls. I want to be home to start preparing the veal for tomorrow's brunch. Or do you just want to continue stand here, staring at me like I have a second head?"

"I…I'm honestly shocked, right now. I have nothing to say. Are you…are you normal?"

"What's that supposed to mean? You need to get to bed earlier, babe. Let's go. I'll put you to bed myself. Would you like that?" Sanji then asked, grinning at him impishly. Then he frowned, looking away from him, patting his jacket for his phone. "Or is Zeff still home? I guess I should just text him and let him know I'm running late. Curfew's coming up. _Oh my god_ , I can't find my phone!"

Law dropped the bags he held, and scooped him up, hugging him so tightly that Sanji eked out a surprised noise. Then he grew bewildered as Law started kissing him frantically, kissing his cheek and neck, then going for his lips, and Sanji just kissed him back because he had no idea what was going on in his head right now, but it seemed that Law was feeling some kind of way.

"Where have you been, brat?" Law asked him breathlessly, kissing him again as he felt he couldn't touch him enough, express his relief and joy in holding the one he'd been looking for once more. "Welcome back!"

"I'm back, but I don't know from where," Sanji replied, giving him a confused look. "What's this about?"

" _I've fucking missed you so much_!"

"We, _literally_ , were together all day, is this a joke?" Sanji asked, reaching between them to play with his ears, jiggling the gold hoops. "Hah, you're so cute! Look at your face! You really did miss me, didn't you?"

"You have no idea, literally, what's going on, here," Law said, looking at him with another startled expression as he examined the other's face. With the change, Sanji looked at him openly and his eyes said everything all over again. He then set him down, realizing that the medication that Hiluluk had been giving him must be leaving his system. The food he'd had and the lack of material from Hiluluk in the past couple of days had helped. He looked around them with determination, grabbing his arm and the bags he'd dropped.

"Pizza. Let's go get pizza! You're hungry, right?"

"Not at the moment, no," Sanji replied, utterly bewildered as Law dragged him after him. "What is happening? What are you doing? You're acting like a weirdo! No, I don't want pizza! I want to go home! I've got stuff to prepare before I have to go to school, tomorrow!"

" _Damn it_ ," Law eked out, pausing at the crosswalk, fist clenched around the bags as Sanji paused next to him, hitting the change button with the bottom of one foot. Then he admired his shoe, sticking his leg straight up in the air to look at the top of it. "Even if you are back, you've no fucking idea where you're at."

"That's such a weird thing to say," Sanji said, looking at him. "Have you been experimenting with the White Rabbit, again? Or is this coffee delirium?"

Law looked at his watch. He made a note of the time, and wondered if he'd expect another reset to happen. Sanji slowly lowered his leg, then stilled. He wiggled in place for a few moments, Law looking at him curiously. He then reached back and touched his own ass with a bewildered look. He looked down at himself, hands moving over his stomach and chest, then he hopped in one place for a moment. The lights changed, but they were still standing there.

Sanji looked at him, touching his own face and then his hair. "I know this is going to sound so gay right now – but…do I look fat?"

"No."

"I feel…heavy."

"Noooooo."

"Maybe it's these clothes," Sanji mumbled, adjusting the fit of his collar, touching his waist once more. Law leaned over and kissed him again, forgetting about the change in lights, holding him tightly against him. He couldn't get enough of him, couldn't touch him enough, taste him enough, and Sanji squirmed against him as their very public display of desperate affection warranted a honking horn from a passing car.

"You're acting so weird!" he complained.

"Let's go home. I need you."

"How bad?" Sanji asked, looking interested.

"Real bad. Like, tonight, we're going to fuck."

"You really have a way of reducing me to a girlish puddle, you homo. But it's about time!"

"YOU 'it's about time'!"

"Whatever that means!"

But when they finally got back to the condo, Law was cockblocked again. Zeff was there with a frustrated expression, and when Sanji saw him, he took off his jacket and loosened his tie.

"Your life ends tonight, old man," he then said, face shifting into something hard and determined. "Your lies won't save you, this time. You lied about the Vinsmokes. _You_ were the one who killed them."


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter Twenty:**

… **Have Fallen Sloppy Dead…**

"I know nothing about this Hiluluk," Dr Hogback said with a tired expression, Luffy sitting atop of his shoulders while Absalom was held at bay with Zoro's swords and Robin's hands. "This is harassment. I've never felt harassed so much in my entire life."

"It's important that we do this for our friend," Luffy said, frowning at him. "Law's working very hard to fix him, but even he's having a hard time coming up with a match that Hiluluk made that makes him think he's a pirate! Which is cool and all, but I want my friend back so he can be happy again."

"A 'pirate', eh? That sounds interesting!"

"The hallucinatory effects of this Tea Party is very troublesome," Robin said. "Not only does the user feel that their world exists as their only reality, it affects those around them, as well."

"Blasted Kid, Bonney and Apoo have been creating this stuff and selling it like crazy to those interested in it. Look at the rate of injuries caused by this! Law enforcement has been hounding us as a result of their idiocy – they don't get what this lifestyle entails! They think they can rule the city with their stupidity!" Dr Hogback cried angrily. "I regret trying it, to be honest. Not only was the White Rabbit troublesome in its marketing and addiction value regarding it's lies in given strength and speed in a fighter, this one is just geared towards partiers looking for a better time! It's this younger generation! They take something that could profit for everyone and destroy it by taking it steps further than it should! They've no common sense."

"I get that," Luffy said with a bored expression. "But none of that matters to me, right now. I just want Sanji to be cured. If you can't find the breakdown of this chemical, then what good are you to us?"

" _That's what I'm saying_!" Dr Hogback roared impatiently at him. "My formula went wrong, somewhere. The entire point of the Tea Party is to indulge into a fantasy – wherever your mind is at for that moment, whatever the influence is, it'll take you deep into that world. If you think about it, the White Rabbit only led you down that hole to explore where it was going. The Tea Party is set right inside of that world, and I'm afraid to imagine what else is available in that vein of thinking."

"Dr Hiluluk indulged in pirate stories with our friend and somehow convinced him that this is what his life is, now," Robin said. "I can't imagine him wanting to believe in that lifestyle with how happy he was before then. Hiluluk had some sort of influence on him that perhaps there were other nefarious things at hand? Why would Hiluluk target Sanji if he wasn't involved with the syndicates?"

"Because of Zeff," Nami told her. "They have some sort of connection, there. it was ultimately revenge against Zeff."

"But why send _you_ the formula for the Tea Party?" Robin wondered. "What is in it for him in that he'd influence others if he isn't a syndicate member?"

"I can't imagine," Dr Hogback said, furrowing his brow. "That is definitely something for Zeff to answer himself. Perhaps when he took on the role of enforcer years ago, something happened between him and Hiluluk that brought on this action. I can't imagine what, though. Zeff is a very private person and doesn't discuss his personal issues with any of us. It rocked us when he confirmed his grandson's existence years ago – we couldn't accept that he'd taken in a child, being the man that he was. Is."

"What can we do?" Luffy asked him, clinging to his forehead as Dr Hogback tried to walk about, wanting to pull him off but knowing touching Luffy in any way would be a bad idea. "How can we put him back together again?"

"There's nothing you can do until the drug is either removed from his system, or face the fact that he'll be forever changed – when a drug is administered too much or perhaps a person had overdosed on something so powerful, a person can never recover. They're doomed to remain that way until their death. Try killing him. It might work. _Ow_."

Luffy slapped him upside the head, then pulled at his nose with a growl.

"Fine, sorry! Look, you mentioned he think he's a pirate – try becoming one yourself. See what happens."

"We're looking for a solution, not a temporary play date," Nami said with a frown. "I want you to do something for us. You made a version of the Tea Party – how about you make something of a solution to wipe out the effects? A cure, if you will. Consider selling it to gain profit from the pain and destruction that the younger generation has caused with theirs. You'd be in big business with the good guys if you could create something like that."

Dr Hogback stared at her with interest, rubbing his chin. "That's not a bad idea, actually. My clientele often demand shorter hangovers and quick image fixes – what if they needed something to quickly offset the effects of the Tea Party? Thanks, girl."

"Get to it! We'll be back another time to see just how far along you've come! Let's go, Luffy! Let's go ask Kid about his version of it!"

"Oh, ho ho ho! I love bothering that guy!" Luffy cried, leaping away from Dr Hogback, the doctor stumbling in place. "He has the best snacks!"

"Wait a minute, did you just propose something that you were asking for in the first place?" Dr Hogback exclaimed with a startled look. "and I just agreed to it?"

"You're pretty slow," Robin observed with a chuckle.

: :

Waking up with a headache, Law slowly realized he was looking at the ceiling of the hallway entrance near the front door. He sat up with a start, regretting it immediately. Hands at his temple, he looked around himself, rising to his feet. The last thing he remembered was seeing Zeff give Sanji a surprised look, then a wall of black – that must've been the underside of Sanji's shoe, judging by the distance he'd taken to slam into the closed front door. He saw the broken sliding doors blasted outward onto the balcony outside, so he grabbed his sword and went jogging in that direction. He figured he'd follow the path of destruction until he reached the pair – they shouldn't be that far ahead of him.

But the road led him away from the complex and down the street, where broken cars lay on their sides and people were looking around themselves with expressions of surprise and horror. He listened for the direction in which most of the noise was being made, and, amidst all the sounds of normal city life, he heard what sounded like police sirens towards the north. With a frustrated growl, he began heading in that direction.

Minutes later, he saw broken lamp posts, streetlights, shattered vehicle windows, and could hear the sound of miniature explosions that were the obvious indication of a major fight. He was impressed at the sizable damage to the streets, sidewalks, building walls – he couldn't imagine Sanji putting up such a fight with his beloved grandfather, though, so he assumed he was still under the control Hiluluk had on him. The persona that had emerged to address Zeff hadn't been the cheerful personality of earlier, and he felt frustrated that this chemically induced mess wasn't under any control. He couldn't quite understand why Sanji just wasn't himself – there had been enough time between dosages, shouldn't he be going through some sort of physical withdrawal? It seemed the delusions were stronger than ever.

Finally, he came up to some vehicle wreckages, and realized that their fight – Sanji's attack, Zeff's defense – had taken them to one of the main city water canals that bisected a larger surface mass of pavement that would lead out to the harbor. Sanji was attacking Zeff with such ferocity that he was seeing the older man as an enemy rather than anyone familiar to him, and Zeff was only defending himself in such a way that his attacks either deflected a heavy barrage of kicks or caused a much needed distance blow that only seemed to enrage the younger man. But he was wearing down, a considerable heaviness and grim acceptance to his older features as each of Sanji's attacks caused him to nearly land a series of killing blows that only caused cracks in the canal and sent debris flying towards the street.

Law was pretty amazed because Sanji wasn't moving like he was used to – these were serious landscape destruction blows from either the force of a kick thrown, or landed when he missed Zeff. It was a completely different style from what he was used to seeing – he wondered if it had to do with training with Hiluluk or it was that strange delusion he was living as a pirate. He created a Room just as Sanji twisted high up in the air, landing blow after blow onto Zeff, who blocked with much effort, being forced back towards the canal. The man wasn't even touching the ground half the time, throwing himself into spectacular twists, cartwheels, almost walking on air – it was almost impossible to fit this vicious display of speed and power as someone that grew up on capoeira; it just wasn't the same style.

He waited until it looked like Sanji was nearest the ground, then separated legs from body once more, much to Zeff's relief. The old man looked like he wanted to collapse from all the effort he'd spent just keeping himself from being kicked to death, but he wasn't about to do it in front of everyone watching. He held himself stiffly, remaining standing, but Law could tell the man was only doing it out of sheer will. It would be difficult offering any sort of help to the old man because he'd flat out refuse it. So he let him have his dignity and just approached Sanji with a frown, maintaining the Room just in case.

"What the _hell_ \- ?" Sanji hollered, looking at his legs kick. "What the hell are you doing?

"What the hell are _you_ doing?" Law returned, frowning down at him. "You'll pay for that headache you gave me earlier, too."

"You can't stop me from doing this. If I can't use my legs, there's nothing wrong with my hands," Sanji snapped, looking at Zeff with such rigid determination that he was practically a stranger to them both.

"Cut it out, brat," Zeff snapped back. To Law he said, "There's too many curious faces, here. Too many phones. I don't want his business being released to interested ears. Patty and Carne are waiting for me over there in the street. Take him to Hiluluk, I'll meet you there."

"Right," Law said, having noticed Bonney watching the scene with her phone out. He waited until he caught sight of Zeff's crew, then looked down at Sanji with a frown. He picked up his upper half under one arm as Zeff walked with stiff action towards the two men that tried not to look too concerned. "You misbehaved once again – now your pirate ass will be dealt with appropriately."

"I don't like the way you said that," Sanji said, twisting his head to look up at him with a startled expression. "I'm aware you mean it as a warning, but why do I feel you have a pervy look to match that tone?"

"It would be interesting," he thought he heard Law mumble as he grabbed Sanji's ankle with the other hand, and both of them were no longer in that area, but moving from place to place until they were at a house that he didn't recognize. Still carrying him by halves, Law waited for a couple of men to open the door and then lead him to the basement.

Hiluluk was seated in a cage-like cell, looking withered and tired. He was still nursing the wounds around his wrists and neck, but looked worried once he realized Law wasn't alone. Sanji looked at him in surprise, arms swinging loosely as he tried to figure out who the man was.

"What are you doing to him, you bastard? That old man? What's wrong with you? Are you keeping him in a cage?" Sanji asked, incredulous. As Law set down his lower half, he looked down at his shocked face with a concerned expression of his own.

"What do you mean, 'that old man'? This is Dr Hiluluk, the bastard fuck that kept you in a cage of your own for the past three years."

"He wouldn't remember me," Dr Hiluluk said with a slightly smirk. "You haven't figured it out, by now? Nothing lasts long with him. Nothing will. But from the looks of it, he's seen Zeff, hasn't he?"

"We're going to discuss this as soon as he gets here."

"If he's not dead, he'll keep on attacking on he finishes the job," Dr Hiluluk said patiently. "Amazing thing is, with this situation, I've had three years to weave a brilliant world for him. Even if the medication has left his system, it's his mind that retains the information that was laid out over my fairy tales and fantasies of grandeur."

"You'll fix him, and you'll fix this mess you've created," Law said, not releasing Sanji as he started to struggle, embarrassed by the position he was in.

"My family was murdered by Zeff. Admittedly, it was to the fault of my own, who I felt that the Vinsmokes had too much power. Think about it, if you will. This single family was hired out for generations by others around the world to carry out fantastic assassination plots. Once it was realized that they had too much power as a group themselves, that they were dangerous to others, they were destroyed one by one in one day. Except for this one. Zeff took him, hid him, smuggled him out of the country – raised him as his own. But there's generations of genetics in him that render him dangerous to others."

"He was not dangerous to others – have you seen his yearbook photos?"

"Shut up! I can't take you seriously! You or your damned uncle!"

"What are you guys talking about?" Sanji exclaimed nervously, unsure of whether or not to be embarrassed or indignant as they spoke, literally, over his head.

"All it took was a little mental reprogramming," Dr Hiluluk continued. "I created the Tea Party as the result of this experimentation. I wanted to control him in a way that he'd carry out my greatest plan – revenge against Zeff. But I knew he adored the old bastard, as the old bastard adored him. I had to create a world of difference to separate that relationship as they knew it. What better way to do it than through this? He thinks he's a pirate, now, sailing on the seas to adventure with his ragtag group of friends – every time he resets, he remembers different parts of his 'reality' with different memories. He'll never speak or remember events of a completed period, but only the basics with which I built this foundation on. And as for his friends, whom I'd Friended upon Facebook; kids these days want so much media attention, they'll let _anybody_ be their Friend for Likes! As for those, they all have their different relationships with him that he'll always remember – how do you like yours?"

"You're an asshole, and I hope you die by fire."

"Let go of me, now," Sanji snapped at him, pushing at him. "Put me back together!"

Hand over his mouth, Law said to Hiluluk, "Fix him. Your revenge is stupid. You eliminated his entire family, leaving him as a sole survivor – wasn't that enough? All you had to do was go and get rid of Zeff, not involve Sanji with it."

"I could have – but then Sanji would be looking for Zeff's killer, as well. What better way to play this than to get rid of them both at the same time? Sanji would kill Zeff, and he'd kill himself. He's set to, you know. After he gets rid of the old man, he has nothing more to live for."

"That's disgusting, playing with lives like that."

"Zeff killed my wife. Her family. A few generations in that single household, just because her father killed Sanji's family, or was part of it. I loved my wife. I adored her. So very much. Not a day passes when I don't think of her. I'd survived only because I stepped out from the house. There was a family friend there that he must've mistook as being me – otherwise, I wouldn't be here, today, getting my revenge. Such senseless killing and death!"

"And here you are, repeating it."

"I want him to feel my pain."

"Will it bring your wife back? Her family?'

"I'll be satisfied."

"But how? You think that after Sanji leaves, I won't feel some way, and decide to take it out on you for as long as I live? Or that once Zeff gets ahold of Chopper and Kureha, do you think he'll be merciful? There is a lot of senseless death and action here, and you just made it worse. You couldn't just let it rest. You involved someone who was too young at the time to know what was happening, and who had no interest at all in that life."

"I know," Dr Hiluluk said with a regretful expression. "Kureha had told me he had no interest in his family tree at all. But the impulse was too great to ignore!"

"Then, what the hell?"

"I NEED MY LEGS!" Sanji suddenly snarled, Zeff coming into view to join them. It took Law a few moments to hold onto his upper half with effort, then broke down his lower half from the knees down because his legs started to move into action. "STOP! What are you doing? I'll do it with my hands, then!"

"How long can you hold that?" Zeff asked him curiously.

"As long as needed," Law answered patiently, turning Sanji in his grasp, so that his back was against his side, and Sanji had to twist his head just to look at them.

"What's the cure?" Zeff asked of Dr Hiluluk.

"There is no cure. I didn't create the Tea Party for an end of his delusion. Admittedly, it grew out of hand. I've no idea how to fix it," Dr Hiluluk confessed. "I passed it onto Dr Hogback to see if he could come up with anything, but his formula is much different from mine. The younger generation of syndicate heads came up with their interesting versions, but it's more of a party favor, now, and not the experimentation that I'd intended. So there is no cure."

"You're a horrible doctor."

"I have been called a quack, a few times. He'll keep thinking he's a goddamn pirate after all those stories I've told him he'd experienced until someone figures out how to reverse it. Good luck with that."

"You miserable bastard! To an innocent person! If you wanted revenge, you should've just went after me, instead!' Zeff shouted at him. "He had nothing to do with this world! He never would have followed my footsteps! He had a normal life laid out in front of him! And now it's gone? And for what?"

"My revenge!"

"You'll rot in hell for this. You'll never be forgiven."

"And you'll never be in the same room with him again, because the very sight of you will set him into motion. How do you like his training? Isn't it fantastic? That family was capable of so many great things, and can you imagine what powerhouses his siblings could've been? The whole world would've been afraid of them! I, alone, trained him to fight in this fashion. Me! a man that knows nothing about fighting! And he can smash through walls like they're nothing with just a single kick! Fantastic!"

"If the Tea Party is just an entrance into a world of delusion, then he'd just need a mushroom or two just to walk back out," Law theorized. "The White Rabbit itself brought him down into this rabbit hole – the Tea Party kept him in it. So he needs a caterpillar's mushroom just to keep his head above the jury before they make a decision."

Dr Hiluluk stared at him for a few moments. "That's just crazy talk. What utter nonsense. What fairy tale is that?"

"But I can't bombard him with chemicals if I don't know exactly what he's been taking. He hasn't hit a withdrawal period quite yet."

"It could take days, weeks, months!" Dr Hiluluk crowed, hands up in the air. "Every day for these past three years, I've given him dosages of two. It's part of him, now. It's practically a disease."

"I can actually cure most diseases. So if it's built up in his system, then I just have to remove it."

"But his mind is still lost in the delusion!" Dr Hiluluk explained, rising from his chair to clasp the bars with both hands. "So how will you snap him out of it? The short term memory loss is the result of this medication - "

"Which means it'll stop once it's removed, right?"

"Er…yes? I don't know. Try and it and let me know how that works out."

"You are the worst!"

"Look," Zeff interrupted, reaching out to shove Law as the man started to get impatient with the doctor, "you've given us enough. But until he's cured, you'll remain here. You'll live the rest of your life here in this cell unless you give us the correct information needed to cure my grandson."

"He doesn't even belong to you - !"

"It doesn't have to be by blood! But I've raised him as my own!"

"Which implies that you have children to have grandchildren. What happened to yours, hmm? Where's your real family, Zeff?" Dr Hiluluk asked curiously, then made a face that suggested that he knew exactly what the answer was about. Interested, Law looked at Zeff for an answer, but the man's face revealed nothing. For the first time, Law wondered about that missing part of Zeff's life.

"Trafalgar, do what you need to do," Zeff told him. "Fix him as best as you can. Remove it from him. We can figure out what to do after that."

"I know someone I can also ask for assistance on the chemical breakdown," Law said to him, hauling Sanji's upper half higher on his hip before reaching for his legs. "We'll go there, now."

Zeff avoided Sanji's reach as he tried to grab at him as they walked past, snapping at him for killing his real family. With a heavy expression, he looked at Dr Hiluluk once more. "All you had to do was punish me, and not him. You took away his life. I never had any intentions of having a family of my own, considering what sort of life I'd lived. But that boy was special to me. At his young age, he would linger in the kitchen just to watch what was I was doing. A man like me, intimidating to most kids, could somehow entertain a child like him. He was different from his siblings – he didn't have that killing instinct that they did. He'd lived a good life, was given everything but was not a spoiled brat. He had a good conscious, he had common sense, and you took that from him. It's even, now. If that boy can't find a cure for him or restore him to a semblance of himself before you took him, then you've won."

"I'll 'win' only when I feel satisfactory with what happens," Dr Hiluluk said slowly. "I loved my wife. And I'll never see her again, never experience any that of which we'd enjoyed together. I'll see her in the after life, but in the meantime, I'm a vindictive man. You'll pay as I did. That boy will never return to you. Get used to the one that he is, now."

Zeff said nothing in return, but he left the room in silence. Dr Hiluluk tried to give a victorious laugh, but it only turned into a bitter weep of frustration.

Meanwhile, Doflamingo spit out the taco he'd just bit into as Law appeared in front of him with Sanji's halves in both hands. Corazon gave a rigid shriek of surprise until he realized Sanji was still alive, looking at them both with dumbstruck curiosity. Law dropped Sanji's legs to wipe onions, lettuce, cheese and steak pieces from his face.

"How do you live with yourself?" he asked the taller man, who scowled at him and finished off the rest of his taco with a muffled noise.

"QUIT APPEARING IN FRONT OF ME SO SUDDENLY! What if I were in the can?"

"That's fine, it's not like I appear in that area at all! Look, enough small chat, I need Caesar."

"Definitely not."

"Cigarette?" Corazon asked Sanji, stooping low just to offer him one from his pack. Sanji gaped at him, much to his dismay, clearly not recognizing him. But he was also staring up at Doflamingo with such a shocked expression – not sure whether to be afraid or confused. Both men were in their pajamas, Doflamingo wearing his custom made onesie with Batman logos and a sleep mask propped up on his forehead while Corazon's beige colored robe still had burn marks from the last time he'd set himself on fire. He'd wiped off all his make up and had his own sleepmask pushing his hair out of his face, so both of them looked relatively normal – if it were normal for men their size to look so out of place with their nightclothes.

"I can't stand looking at you when you're dressed like that."

"Batman has a serious advantage over Superman, Law. Listen to this. Brains over brawn. He doesn't need the sun to recharge, he just needs a good night's sleep. And who better to represent Batman but myself, who - !"

"Shut up. Anyway, Caesar Clown. Where?"

"What's this about? Is this a new version of a Dutch wife?" Doflamingo asked curiously, looking at Sanji closely, noting that he wasn't looking at him the way he used to. He drew back, a little insulted. Corazon watched him, knowing that Doflamingo was bothered with not being recognized in the way Sanji used to greet him. "What's with you? Are you still crazy?"

Sanji said nothing, because how could such a sinister man capable of removing lives with a gesture and did such terrible things to Law be so serious in front of them in a Batman onesie and a sleepmask? He looked down at the attached feet, unsure of how to feel. Then he looked over at Corazon, and he just looked like a tired wife with rollers in his hair, both of them standing over the kitchen island with a box of tacos between them.

"Don't talk to him, he'll make it worse," Law said to Sanji, covering his mouth with his other hand, Sanji reddening with outrage. "Look, I can't figure out the chemical breakdown. Caesar can."

"I'm sure he can, but he's crazy," Doflamingo said, opening up a packet of hot sauce and dumping it over the rest of the tacos left. "He won't give you a straight answer."

"Is there a reason for this?" Corazon asked Law, indicating both of Sanji's halves. "Put him back together, please."

Once he was his complete self, Sanji just stood there in silence, looking up at Doflamingo with doubt, unsure of how to accept this weird version of a man that nearly killed him. His instincts weren't screaming as they usually did when he felt an enemy nearby, and Doflamingo ignored him to eat his tacos, wearing not a vicious grin but a cheerful one. And when he looked at Law, Law only looked up at the man impatiently, the same way a child would when utterly annoyed with their parent. Was Doflamingo in actuality a parent of some kind? Sanji didn't know Law's backstory – he only knew what Law wanted them to know. And who was the man in the beige clothing, who reached out and straightened Law's hat and wiped lettuce from his jacket with motherly action?

He then gave a startled look down at the hand that had grasped his belted slacks, as if holding him back from making any move Sanji might have in mind. He pulled away, getting frustrated when fingers tightened, and he either had to break the hold with his own limbs or make a big scene out of it, and he couldn't because he was rendered into shocked, mute silence with how everyone stood around him without trying to kill each other.

"Just do your thing," Doflamingo told Law, making finger motions in the air. "That thing you do when you open people up and shit."

"If I know what chemicals were being used to medicate him, then I can find a goddamn way to make him normal, again!" Law told him with a frustrated face. "Now, where's Caesar? I want him to break down and confirm the chemicals used on Sanji when Hiluluk held him. I have the original 'tea' that he was giving him, but not the medication he used to keep him doped up. He keeps mixing up the terms 'medication' and then this in the same sentence – so I'm not certain if he used actual meds, or if he's just referring to this formula as medication. I've broken down the chemicals that I can find, but with certain research, there are different versions that have to be mixed together to create a specific 'trip'. I need to know what versions were mixed together, and I'm not a chemist, so this is extremely difficult for me to figure out. I thought of Caesar, and I would like his help."

"What were you able to find out, so far?" Corazon asked, interested.

Law gave him a limited version of events, and while he was doing so, Doflamingo bent at the waist to look at Sanji again, a taco in hand. He tried to feed it to him, but Sanji slapped it out of his hand, causing Doflamingo to jump back in reaction.

"All you had to say was 'no', impudent wench. You wasted a perfectly good taco. Do you not know how to speak, anymore?"

" 'No'," Sanji snapped at him.

"People are dead because of this," Doflamingo said, gesturing at the ruined taco on the floor. "I hope you remember this day."

" _You killed people for a taco_?"

" 'Killed'? NO! Why would I - ? Well, maybe that one time, but I specifically said 'no olives', and there were olives in that bitch, and that's when Corazon was out vacationing with some friends in the tropics – "

"I wasn't _vacationing_ , I was kidnapped! And you didn't even know for two weeks!" Corazon interrupted Law to exclaim.

"You said you were going to Target! I know how you get when you hit those clearance aisles!"

" _Two weeks_! Anyway, continue," Corazon said to Law, who frowned at Doflamingo for interrupting.

"Anywho, the point of this conversation is, don't waste food," Doflamingo scolded Sanji, crouching to retrieve the top section of the taco that hadn't yet touched the floor. He ate it from there, and Sanji just looked at him with a combination of disgust and uncertainty because he had the same view set when it came to the topic of food.

"First off, Law, if I'm understanding this right, the Tea Party that Kid, Bonney and Apoo are using are party favors, right? If Hiluluk had created this version to create this delusional world of Sanji's so that he couldn't remember the rest of us as we are, I wonder if it matters if there is a cure to be found," Corazon was saying. "If he were giving him these dosages and then weaving a story to create a world that Sanji thinks is his reality, then it's not a chemical cure you're looking for. You'll have to retrain that mind of his to have him see this world is his world. A chemical compound cannot erase memories – they're there. But believing in something is something you just can't fix with Caesar. I think that what you're really looking for is a withdrawal medication to treat the sudden cessation of meds that Sanji had been forced to ingest over the years."

"That is something I had already intended on working on once I found the proper breakdown."

"What's happening? Girly boy, you can't remember stuff?" Doflamingo asked Sanji, Law waving at him impatiently while Corazon made sense. Horrible sense. "Surely you do. We are amazing friends."

"Never," Sanji snapped at him, bristling.

Doflamingo looked hurt. He held up his phone. "But I have photographic evidence! It'll take me awhile to find it, it's been years, but –"

"No," Law said, reaching out and pushing that contraption away from Sanji. "Not like that."

"So, what? Is this something you have to do to make him remember us? What are you going to do to fix this? This is monstrous! I will not be forgotten! I'm a lovable chap, I deserve to be remembered! This is an outrage! Who do I have to kill in order to be remembered?"

"Shut up, you look ridiculous trying to power up in your damn pj's!" Corazon snapped at him.

"Back to Batman, Batman uses his brains to fight opponents, not superhuman strength or alien technology. All that fool needs is money and a plan! How can you not admire that, Cora? Or are you still an Aquaman fan?"

"You're right," Law said over to him to Corazon. "What you said makes perfect sense. I don't like it, but three years is a very long time for Hiluluk to have convinced him what sort of life he's living, now. It's going to take more than that just to restore the settings."

"Just find the remote," Doflamingo muttered, leaving the kitchen while scrolling through his phone.

"It's going to be a very long journey," Corazon said sadly. "You need to be patient. At least he's alive."

Sanji frowned at both of them, unable to understand the droop of their expressions and the heaviness of their shoulders.

"He came back," Law said to Corazon, letting go of Sanji now that Doflamingo was gone. "Without the dosages Hiluluk gave him, he was back for a very short period of time."

"Even if he had, that's not the person he's supposed to be, now," Corazon said gently. "Three years ago, he was just a boy. Now he's nearly of legal age to drink. Right? So he wouldn't be the person he was when he was taken. He has to adjust and find himself to be the person he's supposed to be, now."

"Who are you?" Sanji asked curiously, seeing that Law was greatly affected by this one man's words, taking him seriously.

Corazon gave him an upset look.

"Sanji, this is my father, Corazon, or Cora. Like Zeff is yours," Law said to him patiently.

Sanji's face twisted with unexpected horror as he put pieces together. "Who are you to Doflamingo?"

"He's my older brother."

Now Sanji just looked horrified. "But you never existed where I'm from. Is that why you hated Doflamingo so much? Your jacket! Oh…oh this is what you were fighting for…"

Law and Corazon stared at him with puzzled expressions as Sanji finally realized why the Law of his world was so angry. Doflamingo must've killed his little brother in his world, which was why Law wanted revenge so much, and - ! Corazon seemed like such a nice person, and to be Law's father – now that Sanji knew, he felt terrible for the impatient things he thought of Law, for all the decisions he'd made when it came to Doflamingo's capture.

"A lot of work," Corazon decided. "When was his last reset period?"

"Two hours, ago. But he was fighting with Zeff at that time. With the medication leaving his system, he shouldn't have these reset periods, anymore."

"Here's hoping."

Doflamingo reappeared with his laptop, Sanji looking at him with a murderous expression. Law reached out and grabbed his belt once more, aware that he'd attack if he saw a chance.

"Look! Evidence!" Doflamingo told Sanji, showing him a picture of Sanji taking a selfie with Doflamingo in the background.

Sanji stared at the laptop with a mystified air, utterly confused by the tech until he registered the picture. He recognized himself, eyes widening with confusion as he studied the friendly expressions, the carefree smile he himself wore as a teenager. Then he reddened because he couldn't imagine dressing the way he did in that picture –and he really did look so unlike himself as he knew himself that it started to make sense why all of these people were so familiar with him. He looked at Doflamingo, then at Law, rendered silent.

"And this one," Doflamingo said, tapping the arrow key and showing Sanji a picture of himself with Corazon and their minions in the background. "Look how girly you were. Hah! Did Law tell you how he thought you were a girl when you were children -?"

"Enough! I will be in charge of this from now on. I don't want you thinking you have any influence at all over his memories," Law said, slapping the top closed as Sanji gaped up at Doflamingo with horror. He pulled Sanji along behind him, saying, "I'll keep you updated!"

Doflamingo reopened his laptop and continued looking at the pictures, Corazon frowning at him suspiciously.

"You're a sad, sad man," he observed.

"I never realized how much of an influence I could be on other people until the day I realized I could be easily forgotten," Doflamingo confessed, frowning at the pictures. "By the way, I called Caesar."

"He doesn't need that guy, anymore. It's not about the chemical dependency. He'll just hit withdrawal, and it's up to Law and his friends to reset his memories, or help forge a new one. It's quite complicated."

"Anyway, back to Batman – "

"Let it go!"

"Which reminds me," Doflamingo said hastily, setting his laptop aside and hurrying out of the kitchen. Minutes later, Corazon heard the sounds of Elsa playing with Anna, and rolled his eyes. If people knew how big of a Disney freak his older brother was, the world would have had a heart attack.

Nearly five minutes later, Sanji looked at Law with a searching expression, unsure of what to think or feel as the man moped at the other end of the bench. All around them, the city life had exploded to brilliant colors, biting cold and wintery conditions that caused the clouds overhead to roll over the sky. Airplanes blinked overhead as they swept in and out, high rise towers glistened with color in the distances, and sirens sounded. Sanji felt overloaded with visual stimulation, taking in everything with a wondrous expression until he realized that the man next to him was utterly silent.

He was still in shock over Doflamingo's somewhat ridiculous personality compared to the one he was more familiar with. Over learning who 'Corazon' actually was. Over the pictures he was shown. Over pirate Zeff's betrayal and lies – the old man that owned the ocean bounded restaurant had, in his reality, killed his family over a land debt. That was the real reason Zeff was a pirate – he owed belli to the Vinsmokes, and since he was unable to come up with it, he slaughtered them, instead, taking Sanji as a hostage in case of retaliation. The life he thought he'd lived wasn't the pleasant sort at all.

But after watching everyone around him react with such opposite reactions to his very presence and thinking, Sanji knew that he was alone, in this world. Separated from his crew, lost in a modernized world with technology that baffled him, where everyone looked at him as if he were crazy because everything he knew wasn't anything that they did. He felt lost again, looking at the passing traffic in front of them. A bus stopped and picking up people standing at a stop nearby, and a horn blared as someone cut off another in order to make the yellow light. A dog barked from someone's high rise balcony, and kids laughed as they shared what looked like a small cigarette that smelled sweet and thick as they hurried down the sidewalk.

He looked over at Law again, still finding it entirely confusing that this wasn't the one he was familiar with. The Law of his world would be ignoring him – not looking at him with a lost expression of his own, as if he didn't know where to start.

"What do you remember, Sanji?" he asked in a tired tone.

"Of what?"

"How did you get here?"

"The Marines intercepted the Thousand Sunny, and – "

"So, nothing of the past couple days…you don't remember cooking at my place for the others, or meeting Arlong and Apoo?"

"I remember Arlong from awhile back, when we liberated Nami from his crew –"

Law sighed heavily. He swept both hands through his hair, removing his hat. Sanji just stared at him because he was aware that this attitude meant something had happened far beyond Sanji's understanding and memory, but he just wasn't sure what. the events of the evening ran through his thoughts, and he started to feel exhausted, himself. Too many emotional events, and none of them would get him close to the rest of the crew. He looked down at his clothes, and they were too modern, as well.

"Let's get you something to eat," Law said, rising from the bench.

"I'm not hungry."

"I am. Let's go to a store so you can pick out what you want to eat – I'm too tired to drag you to something you're just going to complain over."

Sanji gave him a skeptical look as he rose from the bench as well, and followed just a couple of steps behind him. "We've done this before?"

"Yes. You're more comfortable with your own creations than you are with one I have to pay others to make. There's a Whole Foods nearby – just find what you need."

"I need to find Luffy and the others, first."

"They'll be home, shortly," Law said, finally withdrawing his phone and seeing all the missed messages from the Strawhat boy, as well as Shachi and Penguin's, Bepo wondering where he was. Doflamingo's regarding Caesar, Corazon's a missed meme with a fluffy kitten with an encouraging slogan in the foreground. "Do you feel any physical discomforts? Sick? Dizzy? Hot?"

"No, none of those. I feel fine. Just tired. And confused. I'm hoping Luffy and the others are okay."

"They aren't what you expect," Law said, sliding his phone back into his pocket without replying to any of the messages. "They aren't the friends that you know. They're different."

"Like you?" Sanji asked skeptically, slowing his step. "What happened to me? Why can't I remember how I got here? And where are your tattoos?"

"Yes. Dr Hiluluk mind fucked you. Because he mind fucked you. What tattoos?"

"What does that mean, 'mind fuck'? And your tattoos – your hands, arms. They're bare."

"I'd never get a respectable job if I had tattoos on my hands. Not that I have one, now, all I did was steal money from the syndicates to pay my way through school for a degree."

"A 'degree'? doing what?"

"I wanted…" But Law trailed off. He wondered how many times he'd have to repeat himself to Sanji in the future. Would he have to do this each and every day? For how long? It was exhausting to think about. Falling silent for some time, he just walked, hearing Sanji follow him, hearing his wondrous noises and feeling so much heartache in his chest that even if the man behind was the physical presentation of the man he should be in love with, he was a stranger in his place. What would happen if Sanji never regained his memory back? What if he was never the person that he was supposed to be? What if he couldn't remember what Law was to him – would Law himself fall out of love with this continuous stranger? What if he couldn't feel for this one the way that he did before Hiluluk changed him?

He paused at the crosswalk, staring down at his boots, Sanji pausing next to him, watching as an ambulance roared by, lights flashing. What if he could never feel for Sanji in the way that he had, again?

He swallowed tightly. He looked at the other man, finding him just as attractive as he had before – he was new landscape to explore and enjoy, but what if he couldn't find feeling for him as he had with previous Sanji? Was he really just a pervert preying on a teenager, or had he truly fallen for the man Sanji was?

"What?" Sanji asked, looking back at him with a frown. "Why are you looking at me like that, shit head?"

How many times would Law have to tell him that they had a relationship? How many times would he have to see that suspicious expression on Sanji's face, that horrified look when told that they had loved each other, once? He looked away without say anything else, his chest hurting. How many times would his heart break when Sanji looked at him a certain way, having forgotten everything they had?

He fisted his hands into his jacket pockets and started walking again, Sanji following cautiously, unsure of what to make of this man's attitude. When they reached the store, he looked around himself with amazement – but it was the people that walked around them that bothered him. All of them were either glued to their phones, staring into the contraptions like zombies, or allowing their children to be riveted to their handheld devices with shrieking noises, or confrontational over an accidental bump or misstep. But Law plowed through the store with accustomed action, leading him to various asiles with a basket, waiting for Sanji to decide on a dish for that night. But he was unfamiliar with such basic meat cuts, with such limited options – even the packaged seasonings were uninteresting and bland; he looked for monstrous meat servings to feed a bottomless pit that was Luffy, for interesting meat names, and looked for spices and seasonings that he knew pleased everyone, but he could find none of that. The ingredients of one boxed side dish assured him of a chemical mixture that sounded like it would blow up in a lab, and when he made to find ingredients that he could create from scratch to produce a decent tasting dish, the prices of a single basket were enough for his outfit alone. Law kept reminding him it was only a snack, as it was late, but Sanji was determined for a second dinner because Luffy was a capable of eating out an entire store on his own.

After much arguing, they finally checked out as the workers were announcing the store closing up in five minutes, and Sanji was convinced he didn't have enough. Law examined the receipt and then the two bags that Sanji carried, then at the cashier with surprise. the cashier shrugged, too dazzled by the pair of them to even offer sympathy. Sanji was just shocked that two bags only held an appetizer for his captain, looking at the meager findings with worry and then glared at Law for the cut-off in supplies.

Then they were on their way home, and the silence between them was uneasy and full of confusing feelings, and Sanji was just wondering why he felt so odd, wanting so badly of the other man's touch because he wasn't receiving too much of his verbal attention. When they arrived home, Law saw that Zeff had sent repair men to fix the broken sliding doors, and they were just about finished, Sanji looking at the process with curiosity. But once he set to work creating a second dinner with such limited kitchen supplies, Law went and took a shower and changed into something more comfortable. Then sat at his desk with an exhausted air, wondering about the state of his feelings and future.

He heard the others finally return, and Sanji greeted them cheerfully, repeating everything that he had as if he'd seen them for the first time in a long time. He heard Luffy's disappointment in this, Robin's patient answers, the others confused questions about the cleanup of the sliding door. Sanji was shocked that Luffy wasn't 'that hungry', but he was hungry enough to eat whatever it was Sanji was making. The others made similar polite noises, but they hadn't the appetite to eat again, preferring to drink was offered and talk.

Zoro peeked in to see if he were there. "Nothing changed, huh?"

"It's complicated."

Zoro frowned at him for a few moments, then said, "It looks like you've given up."

"On a cure."

"Then we go about it another way."

"If you have the patience for that."

"You don't?"

"I'm wondering if I ever did."

"That's disappointing," Zoro said, crossing his arms tightly. "He'd never give up on you."

And Law sighed because he was right – Sanji never did, even if it were to earn his approval when they were children. "Get out of my room."

"It looks like a damn junkyard, in here. How do you live with yourself?"

But Zoro walked away and Law sat up in his chair, resting his elbows onto the desktop and running his fingers through his hair with exasperation. All the voices from the Strawhat crew were too much for him to deal with, and he got up to shut the door instead. Then he cleaned off his bed and flopped onto it with a drawn out sigh, staring up at the ceiling with a frown.

An hour later, Luffy barged in, standing over him with a frustrated face. "Why are you just lying there? Shouldn't you be doing something?"

"I am. I'm lying here. Staring at the ceiling. Counting sheep."

"Fix him!"

"There is nothing to fix. He's perfect."

"Shut up! You have the brains and means to do this, so do it! He needs to be fixed, Law! He must be tired of repeating himself over and over again, forgetting things all the time! You need to fix him!"

"There's a new plan, Strawhat. It's a great one. I thought of it all by myself. It's called the Don't Order Me Around Plan. It only applies to me."

"Look, I asked all these smart guys everything I could think of for them to fix Sanji, and all of them came to the same conclusion – let the medication run its course, let the withdrawal happen, and fix his memory when it happens. Remind him of stuff. But how's this plan, instead? Why don't we borrow Kid's Tea Party formula, give it to him, and reset his memory like that?" Luffy suggested, sitting heavily down onto the bed next to him, causing Law to turn and kick him off onto the floor.

But he resettled back into his position and stared up at the ceiling with a curious expression, Luffy getting back up to his knees with a growl at the mistreatment. Once he saw Law's expression, he nodded with excitement.

"I wonder if that'll work," Law wondered outloud. "To be honest, I've no idea how it works."

"I'll get Kid's batch and bring it right over! He has a bunch made!"

"First off," Law said, rising up and sitting at the edge of the bed, "I'm not just administering it to him just like that. If I don't understand how it works, then I'm not just feeding it to him on the hopes that it'll work. I need to test it for myself. If you can give me at least four batches from each group, I will test it myself. I need to understand my enemy, first, before I endanger Sanji in any other way."

Luffy brightened, then his expression shifted violently into awe. "You're so romantic!"

"Shut up! Don't look at me like that! Ugh, you made me break out in goosepimples! Get out of my room!"

"Okay, deal! Tomorrow, I'll go and get what you asked. Then we can test it on you! But what if you turn out like him?" Luffy asked with worry, stopping in mid-rise. "What if something happens to you, and…we lose both of you?"

"That's just a risk we'll have to take. At this point, I'm desperate to try anything."

"Second dinner's ready, by the way. Sanji won't eat it. Says it tastes like pig shit, but I thought it tasted pretty good! Robin saved you a plate. Will you have Sanji feed you like last time?"

"Yes," Law said with a sigh, leaving his bed. "Send him in."

"We're going to go home for the night," Luffy then told him. "Then tomorrow, we'll set out and get what you needed. Where's Zeff?"

"He's around. He can't come near Sanji, Sanji will try and kill him again."

" 'Again'? Did this already happen?"

"It did. It was terrible. Now, get out of here."

"Poor Zeff," Luffy said with worry. "I should go talk to him. But please don't give up on Sanji. We know you can fix him. I know it's tiring, but he needs you, right now."

 _But what about me?_ Law wondered, feeling overwhelmed at the thought of never having the man back. As Luffy bounded out from his room, demanding that Sanji come feed him again, Law drew his phone out of his jacket pocket and looked at the wallpaper. He automatically smiled because Sanji's smile was so brilliant, and Law himself was happy, and he just had to see this over again to know that it was all worth fighting for.

His door was kicked open, Sanji looking at him with a frown, a plate of hot food in hand. He'd rolled up his pink sleeves, tossed on an apron, loosened his collar and tie. "You bastard, why aren't you eating? You think my food is slop? Is that why you're trying to hide back here?"

Since it was basically a repeat of hours earlier, Law put his phone away and looked up at the other man with examination. He was scared he'd lose feelings for this stranger – but what terrified him more was the thought that the Sanji he knew was in there, somewhere – he'd seen him earlier. Maybe all he needed was to be directed to the right path.

Maybe retaking the Tea Party was the only way out.

"Sanji, a dog growls when it's angry, right?"

Sanji looked at him cautiously, holding the hot plate to the side. "Yes…?"

"And it wags its tail when it's pleased, yes?"

"Of course."

"When I growl, it's usually because I'm in the middle of looking for sexual satisfaction."

"I…am lost."

"And I don't wag my tail, because I don't think of myself as an uke in any sense."

"…Um."

"So, in that line of thinking," Law continued, rising up from the bed to loom over him, Sanji looking up at him with a bewildered expression, plate held to the side, "if I'm hiding in my room and you think it's because I think your food is shit, don't think of it as so. Think of it as I'm waiting for my plan to work, and work it did. I have you all to myself. The others won't hear you scream, because they're leaving for the night, and I won't eat your shit unless you feed it to me."

"None of what you said makes any lick of sense. And you just called my food 'shit', again!"

"Prove it's not, then," Law said, sitting at his desk, and pointing at his mouth. "Ah."

Sanji's face reddened, and he scooped up a forkful of roasted fish to prove that he didn't serve 'shit'. But Law stopped his advance, brushing it to the side, and instead hugged him close, Sanji nearly dropping his plate as he tried to lunge out of his grasp.

"Stop! What are you doing? You weird bastard, why are you touching me? Let go!"

"Don't drop your food," Law warned, pressing his head against his chest and listening to his heart race with his action, Sanji struggling to lurch away from him. It was discomforting how strange it was to feel new mass to the blond that hadn't been there, before. He had a man's body, now. Not the skinny, long limbed boyish body that went willingly with him to any lengths it took to express affection.

"Let go of me!"

"Just let me do this for a few minutes, and I'll eat willingly, on my own," Law said, hugging him tightly, smelling the scent of him. It was nearly the same smell he remembered, just stronger, thicker – nothing artificial.

"Why?" Sanji asked in a bewildered tone, holding up his plate high above his head, red from the gesture and from the odd sensation of his skin craving everything that was being given to him at the moment. It seemed to remember this feeling – it reacted against his own given reaction. He had the strong will to lean into the gesture and let it happen, but his mind told him no, that this was wrong. He started to sweat.

But Law didn't answer him – he released him, and Sanji just stood there and frowned at him, utterly confused. Law waited for him to hand him the plate, and Sanji moved to give it to him – only to feel the man wrap his legs around him and draw him close as he grabbed the plate and fork, and frowned down at the contents atop of it. Sanji squirmed and pushed at his knees, trying to create enough space to get out of it.

"What is this stuff? It looks disgusting. Why the whole fish? I don't remember you buying this crap at the store."

"Robin brought it, you ass! And quit talking down when you haven't even tried it -! What are you, a kid? Let go of me!"

"I change my mind. I can't do this without you. Give me a scoop of that stuff. It looks edible," Law said, tightening his knees around Sanji's hips as he made to escape.

"All of it's edible! You bastard! Why are you such a child?"

"If you want to be my friend again, you have to try harder than this."

"I don't want to! Why should I?"

"That's not a nice thing to say after what I've done to you, Sanji. I mean, what I've done for you."

Sanji gave him a suspicious look, blushing. "What do you mean by that?"

"Nothing. Feed me."

"You said it suggestively!"

"Are you flirting with me, again?"

"NO! Let me go!"

"And where are you going to go if I do?"

"I don't know -!"

"then it really doesn't matter if I do let you go, does it?"

Reddening, Sanji looked at him, gritting his teeth.

"Are you mad, bro?"

"I'm – frustrated!"

"Why?"

"Because you won't let me go!"

"Do you not enjoy human touch?"

"I do, just not – from you!"

"Why?"

"Stop asking me so many questions!"

"Just answer that one, then."

Clenching his teeth, Sanji looked away for a few moments. He scanned the room with its messy appearance, curling a lip at first, then heaving a sigh. He didn't look back at the other man, who watched him with interest, wondering why his ears were burning red. it was rather cute for a man of Sanji's appearance to look so damn bashful.

"Because…it feels like I remember it when I don't remember it at all," he heard Sanji mumble. "And I don't know what that means, but every time you touch me, it feels like it had happened before."

Law felt his heart skip a beat. But he let him go. Hope made him feel better about the evening because even if Sanji didn't remember him at all, his body sure did. And that was better than nothing at all.

"Don't worry. I won't attack you more than this, or push for something that you're not comfortable with. I can keep my hands to myself. But hearing that makes me happy – at least some part of you remembers who I am to you," he said, picking up the plate and eating with relish, because it really was good and he really did feel better. "And that gives me hope to work with."

Sanji pulled away, unsure of what he meant by any of that. his face was still red, and he felt too hot. But he looked at the man who looked at his food with a happy smile, and he felt better for expressing something that didn't make him feel so guilty, now. But that only gave him more to think about, so confused and lost that he didn't have anything to say. So he left the room in silence, brow furrowed because he didn't know how to sort out the excited leap of his heart at the knowledge that Law was happy with him for sharing that shameful secret with him.


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Last chapter before I disappear. Getting close to the end! :D**

 **Naghi-tan: It definitely is! D:**

 **Guest: it's a much painful story than I anticipated D: But it is, what it is…until the last chapter. And, yes, Zeff has a peg leg, here. It hasn't been explained why, though. *** **mysterious tone** *****

 **Nattsubihanabi: I've never seen that particular movie (Not an Adam Sandler fan), but it's similar to this? If it is, I definitely have to youtube it. I'm glad you like my stories! They're pretty out there. We can be friends. :D**

 **Chapter Twenty-One:**

 **And The White Knight Is Talking Backwards…**

That night, Sanji tossed and turned in the bed Law had said was his. There were so many thoughts running through his mind that he wasn't sure where to sort them out. But as he ran the day's events over and over, he realized that only one thing stood out. So he left the bed, cautiously creeping through the darkness to the other room. He nearly tripped on some books, over empty boxes of takeout containers, but when he reached the bed, he found his way onto the mattress with a brilliant red face. He tried not to think too hard about the moment, but when he settled on his side towards the edge, he did feel a little more tired than he did earlier. He heard the other man snoring slightly, back to him, so Sanji felt better. He didn't feel so alone. He tucked his hands underneath his cheek and closed his eyes and fell to sleep within moments, thinking it was ridiculous of him to seek out another's company just because he felt so lonely.

When he woke up the next day, he was mortified to find himself pulled tight against the other man – his arm thrown over him, the other curled around him from underneath, one long leg over his hip, the other curled around his calf. It was like waking up with Luffy on him, gnawing on the back of his neck, talking in his sleep. Sanji stiffened up, panicking for a few moments as he realized that everything he saw before him wasn't things he recognized – but then he remembered last night, and he squirmed slightly, looking for a way to ease out without waking the other man.

One arm tightened around him, and there was a snort that made him still, heart slamming against his chest. He did not want the other to wake up with him like this. This was mortifying. He'd only wanted the company of another person in the same room – like sleeping with the others. He didn't expect this octopus to curl around him, seemingly moments from devouring him if he moved funny. Carefully, he untangled one leg from his, then managed to sweep out from underneath the other. Next was easing out his upper half, and that entailed lifting up from the arm underneath him and scooting towards the edge of the bed just to climb out from the other. Just as he set a foot down, Law pulled him back up against him, holding him more tightly than before. Sanji gave a frustrated expression, reaching for the edge of the bed, trying to ease away from him once more. Law continued to fake snore and breathe deep, but was sleepily grinning as Sanji tried to escape from his grasp. That full body blush of his was warm through his clothes, and while Law found it amusing to tease the man, he could tell Sanji was getting frustrated. So this time he let the man wiggle free – probably a good idea anyway; having the man's tempting form against his hadn't been easy to ignore – and once Sanji was off the bed, giving a huff, Law continued to pretend to sleep to give him some dignity. But he heard him walk off, muttering to himself.

The place was silent – it seemed lonely, though. He could hear the sounds of neighbors next door, and traffic in the vague distance. The refrigerator hummed quietly and somewhere, a clock ticked. He couldn't imagine where – there were moving boxes sitting in a pile near the stairway, and there were books tossed on a nearby bench. He wondered where Luffy and the others were, and thought about how disconnected he was with them. None of them remembered any of their adventures, and they talked about such different things – Luffy was a little more thoughtful than the one he knew; Zoro was quieter, calmer; Nami was actually a little too bossy and too touchy with him; Robin kept to herself, but seemed more game to speak with him about his life than giving a frustrated look like the others; Ussop was a lot quieter than Sanji was used to. They were just a group of strangers wearing his friends' skin.

Law was a little more difficult to sort out. Sanji didn't understand why he felt the way he did about another man's presence, and this Law was more talkative, outgoing than the one he knew. But that smile of his – it did something to Sanji's knees. Something that wasn't supposed to happen. And skin to skin contact made his own ripple with heat, and his gut curl with want.

He bit his lip, trying to control his thoughts. Once he had breakfast made, he made it 'pretty' – set it on the table with proper settings and retrieved the cup of coffee, setting it near a couple of containers with cream and sugar. Then he went to wake the man up, and he did so with a kick to the hip and a gruff order. Then he left, wishing badly for a cigarette.

When he turned to shout for Law to hurry up and join him at the breakfast table, he was startled to see the man so close behind him that his nose bumped against his chest and he had no defense against the morning mouth tongue that slathered over his ear with an alarming amount of slime. He shrieked and clapped a hand over his ear, then reacted to the saliva that wet his palm.

"Wake me up nicely, _romantically_!" Law complained as he went to his seat and looked at the breakfast presentation with a cheerful look. He doctored his coffee as Sanji went to clean his ear, and by the time the other man joined him at the table, he was two sips in and two mouthfuls of eggs had disappeared to intermingle with the flavored brew.

"We have a long day, today," Sanji told him, choosing a piece of plain toast to start his meal with. "There is no time to sit and sleep in."

"Oh? What are we doing?" Law asked curiously, having other plans.

"Now that I am assured of my friends' safety and wellbeing, being that they aren't my friends, I need to figure out how I got here," Sanji said. "And you have to help me off this island so I can return to the ones that I know."

"I can do that," Law mumbled. "We'll go ask around."

"'Ask'?" Sanji repeated, making a face at his toast.

"What's wrong with that?" Law asked him, gesturing at the bread. "Besides the fact that it exists at all?"

"It's too sweet."

"Eat something else, then. Don't leave this table without clearing that plate."

"I'm not a little kid."

"We're going to go around the city and ask certain people how you got here. That's all."

Sanji furrowed his brow as he scooped up some eggs and bit into them. He winced and set it aside, sure that he'd made it usual way. Sure the eggs were a little dull in color, but the flavor was supposed to be fluffy and just a tiny bit salty. But it tasted dry and flat, and he didn't care for it at all. He shifted to the ham, but it was too salty and wet and he set that aside as well.

"What's wrong with your food?" Law asked him, clearing his plate.

"Tastes funny. Artificial."

"Eat every bite. Or I will sit on you, again."

Sanji gave him a skeptical frown. "That's something Luffy will do. I can't imagine you doing that."

"Want to try me?"

"No," Sanji decided, thinking he'd be crushed if that bigger man decided to sit on his chest for a couple of minutes. Law was bigger here in this world than he was in the other – broader shoulders, bigger chest, thicker arms and neck – just slightly darker, as well. He had the scowl down, the wild black hair, but the other thing that truly stood out was his smile and the way he looked at him, sometimes. And the attitude. The childish, bullying attitude that made Sanji just stare at him in incredulous silence, sure that the shit that left his mouth hadn't left his mouth and he'd only imagined it.

He bit into his vegetables and tried not to gag. Law only sighed, reaching for a refill.

Later that morning, after he'd showered and dressed in the clothes Law said they'd found last night, Sanji examined himself in the full length mirror in the bathroom. He'd paired a dark blue shirt with a navy paisley tie, a pair of black slacks and his Oxford leather shoes, but this time, he wore his winter jacket over it because he suspected he was going to be active, today. He was aching for a cigarette, leaving the bathroom with a sweep of his leg.

Law was waiting for him, impatiently tapping a heel on the floor with his sword over one shoulder. When he saw him approach, Sanji felt his ears burn. He was fairly certain men shouldn't look at each other like that, but Law looked upon him as if he were appraising some material thing of value. Or just admiring him. Sanji wasn't sure.

"It was worth the wait," Law said with a decided tone, Sanji frowning at him.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Now I feel underdressed," Law said, frowning down at his plain jeans with rolled hems, long sleeve shirt underneath a winter sweater with leather elbow patches and a contrasting color collar, and his glasses. He shrugged on a winter jacket with a furry hood.

"It's unusual, but you aren't that underdressed," Sanji said, reaching out and straightening his collar. "At least you're not wearing feathers."

"Like Cora's and Doffy's jackets? _Ew_."

"Men don't say 'ew'."

"The real manly ones do. Let's go, then. Time to start our mission," Law decided, looking at his watch as Sanji made their way to the door. He had the urge to reach out and swat the other man's ass, but he feared Sanji would kick him into next week if he did. He also would not touch the other man the way he used to – it wouldn't be right if Sanji didn't know of their relationship. "Today, we start asking people their opinions on what we should so with you."

"Why should their opinion matter - ?" Sanji started to question when Law grabbed his arm, and they reappeared a distance away. Dizzy, Sanji reoriented himself with the world, and saw that Law was walking right up a pathway towards a grandiose restaurant. Sanji hurried after him, a couple of dark suited men reaching out to stop them from entering the main door when Law dispatched of both of them with the scabbard of his sword. Then neatly kicked them aside so he could enter. "What are we doing?"

"Social media is the best way to find out the location of each and every one of these scum bags, and that's how we're going to talk to every one of them," Law told him patiently, peeking in through another doorway very briefly before grabbing Sanji's arm again. This time, Sanji found himself atop of a very crowded wooden table with men in dark suits enjoying a feast, and all of them reacted with surprise at the sight of them. One of them even spit out his shrimp pasta, and another choked on his steak and artichoke dish.

"Goddamn you!" Krieg shouted, slamming a fist atop of the table, causing it to rattle dangerously underneath their feet. Sanji looked at him with surprise, startled to see the pirate of the East Blue sitting there in a maroon suit and a heaping pile of pasta before him, meatballs neatly sliced in half next to it. "I told you! I had nothing to do with anything that you want to know!"

"Calm down, this is just an update," Law told him, nudging a couple of bottles of wine aside so he wouldn't trip on them. "As you can see, I found him. There's no need for me to pester any of you about his whereabouts, any longer. The only questions that remain are things that I will keep to myself. Everyone, say hello to Sanji."

All that he received in reply were glares and threats of death and violence, and Sanji was amused because every single face he looked at had expressions of open dislike their way. Guns were drawn and tempers rose, and while he felt defensive, ready to fight if he needed to, Law said to Krieg, "I just thought I'd make my rounds and introduce you all to him. He has a very troubled memory. I'm hoping with each visit I make, he might remember something of significant value to him."

Krieg looked at Sanji. The man wasn't the brightly smiling teenage boy, anymore. Just a confused looking man with a slightly altered hairstyle and what looked like a dangerous posture. He was pretty sure if anybody made a move, the man would attack.

"All you had to do was send out a text," he muttered.

"That's a cowardly way of avoiding interaction with human beings."

"It's a smart way to avoid interaction with the likes of you."

"Sanji, look at everyone. Anything about this sorry group that rings familiar?"

Sanji looked at the faces nearest him, then landed on two of them. "Gin. Pearl."

Gin looked up at him as if he were in awe. He looked a lot younger from the last time Sanji had seen him – protecting his troublesome captain after a brief fight on the Baratie – with such a clean appearance that he would've never recognized him if he'd passed him on the streets. His hair was combed back, he was wearing very tidy and neat clothes similar to Krieg's gangster appearance – and he didn't look so haggard. Just healthy.

"Hi, Sanji," Gin greeted him warmly. "It's nice to see you again."

"Same here," Sanji said, giving a slightly confused smile. They'd parted on good terms, but he didn't understand the entirely affectionate look to the other man's face. "You look well."

"Can't complain."

"Enough of the chit chat, I didn't come here for that," Law told them both, sword between them. "Nothing jogs your memory?"

"Nothing," Sanji confessed, unsure of what he was even looking for.

"Onto the next, then." But before they disappeared, Law tipped Gin's drink over, Gin scrambling out of its path with a curse of dismay.

"Utterly irritating! What was the point in that?" Krieg asked incredulously. "Like I care if that brat is back! What matters is no more Strawhat visits!"

"I wonder what he meant by 'jogging his memory'?" Gin wondered aloud. "He recognized us just fine."

"It's so embarrassing how taken you are with him, again," Pearl mentioned to him cattily, Gin scowling before looking at him with warning.

"Donquixote!" Krieg roared into his phone. "Leash up that brat of yours! I'm sick and tired of him interrupting my – what do you mean, he's ' _adopted'_?"

When they reappeared moments later, Sanji wanted to puke. Law teleported them so quickly that there were only flashes of scenery around them before they came to a stop in a massive living room that looked bare and modernized, with just the minimal of decorations in certain sections of the area.

Drake spit out his wine in surprise, Ashley giving a faint yelp as he knocked over his mustache grooming kit at the table nearby.

"Disgusting," Law commented, as Drake threw aside his glass and rose up from his couch with a roar of displeasure. The massive HD Sony tv on the wall was playing 'Jaws', and Sanji watched with a scoff as a mechanized shark ate a man right off his boat. "Listen, I've found who I've been looking for. I'm only visiting everyone out of common courtesy to notify you myself of the rumors you may have heard. This here is Sanji Blackleg – Sanji, this is Drake. You remember Drake, don't you?"

Sanji looked at the enraged man for a few moments, then shook his head. "Never met him."

"Drake, tell us about yourself – or not," Law decided as Drake took on his dinosaur form with a loud roar, Sanji reacting with a startled expression. They were out of there in moments, Law looking at the house on the cliff edge, two heated pools and five unnecessary levels for two people and their minions. Drake could be seen through one of the glass walls roaring with animalistic displeasure, the sound echoing throughout the Cliffside. "Hmf. _Rude_."

Trying not to heave, Sanji leaned on his knees, looking at the snowy ground underfoot.

"This is leading me no where!" he exclaimed shakily, looking around himself. He spotted the ocean, just miles away. But it looked odd. While the visible harbor led out into the grey body of water, a wall of clouds in the distance beyond that, he had a feeling that it wasn't the ocean, but a lake. "Where's the sea?"

"Not here. Next destination – prepare yourself for this one. Drake doesn't tolerate visitors very well, but this one likes to lash out at anybody that looks at him funny," Law warned him, grabbing his hand. The flash of the world disappearing and reappearing as he teleported to his destination caused Sanji a serious heave of nausea. But as they materialized in a low lit grand office with gaudy lights flashing from a two way mirror nearby, Sanji prepared himself for the worst.

Crocodile slammed his hook down on his desk and threw his scotch cup at the pair just moments after Sanji recognized him. "Damn you! What the hell are you doing here? You got what you needed, stay the fuck out of my area!"

"All I'm doing is visiting everyone out of polite courtesy. Yes, you may have heard the rumors that Zeff's grandson is back, but I needed you to see him in person. His memory is spotty."

"That's not the only thing that'll be spotty after I get through with both of you!" Crocodile roared, sand rising around him and curling around their feet, but Law was pretty quick to get them out of there. Sanji steadied himself with a slight exhale as Law frowned, straightening his glasses. They'd reappeared just a level below the office, and Sanji could only look up and see the two way mirror that allowed Crocodile his own visual onto the casino floor below.

"What are you doing?" Sanji snapped at Law, grabbing his jacket.

"Anything?" Law asked him curiously. "Anything at all?"

"Nothing! I don't know what you're doing! It seems like you're only taking me around these people so that they can see that I'm back, and, to be honest? You're not doing anything to help me understand how I arrived here at this island! I want to leave it! I want to return to my friends!"

"This is the only way I know how to help you, Sanji," Law told him, a row of security guards running their way, guns drawn and panicked people catching sight of the activity. "If I can somehow jog your memory into remembering _something_ , then we can go from there. Are any of these people familiar to you in any way?"

Sanji gave him a reluctant frown, looking at the guards that were fast approaching. Before he could answer, sand swept up from the potted plants nearby, and Law quickly teleported them both away before either of them could be touched. The mid-morning sun barely peeked through the snowy clouds ahead, a plane swooping low on its way to the airport – it caused windows to shudder, and a car alarm to go off.

People moved around them with annoyed expressions, and the traffic was snarled at a nearby intersection because of a collusion between a taxi cab and an armored truck. There was so much visual stimulation in the area that Sanji forgot what Law was asking for.

"What am I trying to remember?" he asked himself vaguely, watching as a bus swerved around a biker, and came rolling near some people waiting for the doors to open before it even stopped.

"How you came to this island, Sanji. Was it by boat, or by car?" Law asked him patiently.

"It was the Navy, so…by boat? Through the harbor?" Sanji looked in that direction, but after all the traveling they'd done so far, he couldn't tell where he'd seen the body of water.

"What was the boat called, Sanji?"

Sanji couldn't remember. He couldn't remember anything other than having woken up in a cell, knowing that the Marines had brought him in after capturing the Thousand Sunny. Finger to his lips, he struggled to remember the moment the Marines had stormed the ship. But all he remembered was pushing Chopper away because the deer clung to him, not wanting him to go –

"Chopper was there," he finally said, thinking about the reindeer.

"Think hard about that scene, Sanji. What was he doing to you?"

"Holding onto my arm. Upset."

" _Why_?"

In the memory, the tiny reindeer was clinging to his arm, practically sobbing. But even as he looked up at Sanji, mouth moving, Sanji heard absolutely nothing. As if the entire scene had been muted. He shook his head with frustration.

"What was Chopper standing in front of? Was he standing on something? Was there something else in the room that caught your eye other than him?"

Books, Sanji realized. Rows upon rows of books. "But we didn't have those on board Sunny," he said aloud.

"Have what on board?"

"Rows of books. Just shelves. Around Nami's desk."

Why take him there? Law wondered, mystified. To hide him until Hiluluk could come and get him?

"I can't really think of anything other than that."

"So it wasn't the Marines that brought you here – it was Chopper?"

Sanji was sure it was the Marines. They were the only ones that were pursuing them at that time, taking advantage of the chaos at Dressrosa. The ports were all crowded with Navy vessels. So why couldn't he see them clearly?

"It's no use going back to yesterday," he said with a heavy sigh. "I can't remember. I _should_ , because I _know_ – I just can't see the scene very well."

"You did very good, today. You fit in a few pieces of the puzzle," Law told him, reaching out to brush his fingers through his hair, and Sanji let it happen because he felt he needed contact at that moment. "That's all we should do, for now. You're tired."

Sanji enjoyed the feeling of being touched. Of having his scalp lightly scratched – even if it was only a gesture of affection, and nothing in the sense that Law suggested with words. But he pulled away before he could fully relax, too afraid to show that he liked it because he was uncertain with himself. "I'm not that tired, or that big of a pansy. Let's keep going. Seeing all these familiar faces makes me feel like I'm getting closer and closer to home."

"If you make lovey-dovey eyes at another guy, I will not be nice about it, this time."

"What does that mean, you scoundrel?" Sanji snapped, shoving him away. "'Lovey dovey'? I have never - ! In my life!"

"Your _entire_ life?"

"Never!"

"I feel like you should be waving your handkerchief at me."

"Shut up."

Law had to chuckle, looking at his phone for a couple of minutes before he found what he was looking for. Then he grabbed Sanji's arm and soon they were reappearing in a kitchen strewn with takeout food, beverages in glass bottles, and music that caused the windows to vibrate.

Law sighed heavily, as if pumping himself up to approach the situation, Sanji wincing as the music, with its screeches, jumpy beats and booming bass tore at his brain. This was nothing he'd ever heard, before. When they emerged out from the kitchen, the entire place was filled with dancing bodies. All of them sweaty, all of them moving to the beat of the music, all of them oblivious to them even appearing there in the first place. the air was heavy with body odor and smoke, and Sanji covered his nose because it was so thick and putrid that he felt dizzy and hungry at the same time.

He reached out to grab Law's jacket because the crowding bodies moved so intensely around them that he feared their separation. Law kept moving, and suddenly they were reappearing in a massive bathroom with a claw-footed bathtub, and Apoo realized he no longer had an audience.

"WHAT. THE. HELL?" he exclaimed, looking at both of them with annoyance.

"Give me your most recent batch of Tea Party, and I won't remove your arms," Law said to him, almost shouting because of how loud the sound had been outside.

"STOP YELLING, I CAN HEAR YOU JUST FINE!" Apoo returned. "WHAT DO YOU WANT IT FOR?"

"Give me fifty dollars, and I'll tell you."

Sanji watched incredulously as Apoo gave him a single bill. Law looked pretty surprised that he got it, but he folded it up and slid it into his jacket pocket. Sanji realized that Apoo looked pretty shaky on his feet, and his eyes seemed glassy. His face was red, as well, but it might've been from the hot air from the other side of the door, too.

"Your version of the Tea Party has to be the most potent because most of the people leaving your parties seems the most intoxicated," Law said, still talking loudly. "I'm interested in your product."

"MINE'S THE VERY BEST!" Apoo agreed, talking loudly after being in the room next door for so long. "IT'LL FUCK YOU UP!"

"Here's fifty – give me what you can with it," Law said, producing the bill. Apoo snatched it away from him, then held it up to the light to look for the security strip. Law tried not to laugh. Watching the older man mess with the Supernova only caused Sanji to realize why he had such a reputation for himself amongst the syndicate heads.

Satisfied, Apoo pocketed the money, and pulled out a single vial from his shirt pocket. "This is the Butter vial. It will fix time for you. And by time, I mean, you'll lose track of days. It's very potent – make sure you pack for a week!"

"Look, I only have a check on me. How about if I write you the amount needed for two more vials?"

"I'll give you _fifty_ for that blank check," Apoo said with a smirk, plucking out the fifty and waving it in the air. "I got fifty dolla to make you holla, I get paid to do the wild thing! YAS!"

"Here," Law said, producing a slip of paper that Apoo instantly pocketed, handing him the fifty. Sanji tried not to display any reaction, but he couldn't help but place a hand over his own mouth to hide his expression. Once Law folded the bill in one hand, slipped it into the other, and handed it to Apoo again, he said, "Two, please."

"I've also got Riddle, Mercury, and Raven," Apoo said, showing him the half vials he'd pulled from his shirt pocket. "Riddle is important – take it in a small dosage. It'll fuck up your world, make you think you're a ninja – only you're not. You take too much of it, who knows where you'll convince yourself to do. Mercury is straight up liquor – don't worry what kind. Just know it's meant to be the chaser. Raven gives you the power to be the person you've always wanted to be. Mix up Raven and Riddle, and you're just on a bad trip. Mix up Raven, Riddle and Butter, and you have a bad trip while losing track of time. Take Mercury, Riddle and Raven, you're going to have a bad time on the freeway because you think you can take on windmills on a tin horse. Take Mercury, Butter and Riddle, and you'll probably find yourself in the same spot Kid found himself – in Bonney's closet, trying on her clothes. It's all up to you."

"So this is what Tea Party is entirely comprised, of? Butter, Riddle, Mercury and Raven? Doesn't sound that impressive, to me."

"This is directly off of Hogback's formula that he gave to Kid. Each of us gave it a few twerks to make it our own, but, yes, this is the Tea Party! How about you, guy? Interested in a little drinky drinky?"

"He's cut off for the night," Law said, taking the vials. "This is all?"

"That's all that's important," Apoo said, exhaling blowfish style. "For fifty more, I'll sell you a full set. With fuller vials."

"Hmm. Interesting. Can I borrow fifty from you, pay you back when you come back here with it?"

"Sure! I just withdrew some cash from the atm earlier, I'm pretty loaded," Apoo said, giving him the fifty back, and then hurrying out from the bathroom. The partiers cheered as he added to the beats, and Law looked at Sanji with exasperation, holding the sweaty bill between two fingers.

"The syndicates will fall with this sort of chaos," Law told him. "This happened after Zeff left. If he were still enforcing the rules, those three losers would have never taken the step up to rule with them."

"I don't understand," Sanji said. "And how is this getting closer to my friends?"

"None of this jogs your memory? That tea Hiluluk served you – did he ever mention how he mixed it?"

"I'm not certain what tea you're talking about," Sanji confessed, hands in his pockets as he looked up at the ceiling with concern. "I'm very fond of tea, but I haven't had any recently."

Law looked at him for a few moments, admiring the flushed color of his cheeks, the way he stood with so much confidence and strength in himself despite the confusing situation he was in – the colors he wore brought out the colors of his visible eye, and his hair teased just a hint of the other side of his face. He wanted to reach out and touch him, but he knew he couldn't, at that moment. So he smiled at him. "You are so cute."

Sanji looked at him with a startled expression, but he blushed as he looked away. "STOP. That's so weird."

"Can't a man pay another a compliment, nowadays?"

"Not when they're drooling."

Law wiped his mouth in time for Apoo to barge back in with an armful of plastic Walmart bags. He set one aside, and dropped the others on the tub nearby. As they all crashed onto the floor, Apoo said, "HERE. A COMPLETED SET. JUST REMEMBER WHAT I SAID ABOUT THEM. THERE'S A HANDWRITTEN NOTE ENCLOSED THAT EXPLAINS WHAT THEY ARE AND WHAT THEY DO. TAKE AT YOUR OWN RISK."

"I can't wait to get fucked up in here, yo. Here. For your troubles," Law said, passing him the fifty back. Apoo checked the security strip again, nodded in approval, then slid it back into his pocket.

"GO WILD. AND LEAVE ME ALONE! HI SANJI, WE MEET AGAIN," Apoo said to Sanji, giving an uncoordinated wave.

"I don't know you."

"LISTEN, IF YOU'RE EVER INTERESTED – "

But Sanji didn't know what Apoo was going to offer because they were out of the house, and he was swaying over the salt covered sidewalk, Law looking at the vials inside the bag with annoyance. He looked at the post-it with Apoo's crappy handwriting, and realized it meant nothing. He tossed it, having memorized what he'd said, anyway.

"Onto the next," he said with a heavy sigh.

"I'm not taking this too well," Sanji confessed once they arrived at a very ritzy salon and spa, the young woman at the front desk gasping in shock as they appeared suddenly behind her, near a doorway.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it," Law assured him, kicking open a door, then slamming it shut once he realized what was happening inside. He then grabbed Sanji's arm and teleported away. Once they reappeared some distance away from the spa, he looked pretty embarrassed. "Mental note – do not interrupt a woman during a spa visit to avoid seeing a Brazilian wax job in process."

"What's that?"

"Nothing your innocent little mind should worry about. Here is our next destination," Law said, gesturing ahead of them at a metal door in a narrow side alley that opened up to a slanting stairway leading underground. There were sullen looking men lingering around it, smoking and drinking, and they looked at the pair of them with utter disgust, mentioning their names and reaching for weapons. "Looks like they were expecting us."

"Maybe a little exercise will make me feel better," Sanji commented, pulling off his jacket to have him hold, and then loosening his collar and tie.

"Go ahead, gorgeous. Make me proud."

"Stop talking like that!" Sanji snapped at him, walking ahead to meet a couple of men in the middle.

A few minutes later, Kid burst out from the doorway with a huffy expression, ducking when one of his guys went flying through the brick nearest him. All around him were men lying in the alley, clearly unconscious and battered to within an inch of their lives. What made him really angry was seeing the future love of his life smiling off to the side, watching the fabled "boyfriend" beat up some of his biggest guys as if they were mere ragdolls – all with the use of his legs, only. _And_ while wearing a goddamn tie.

"WHAT. THE. HELL?" he exclaimed, marching forward to Law, throwing up his arms. He was shirtless, tonight, expecting a hot environment in the basement while enjoying a death metal concert with some local bands. His leather pants were barely belted in place, stuffed into motorcycle boots, and his arms were laden with bracelets, studded cuffs, and his wild red hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail that barely qualified as a ponytail. "What'd they ever do to you? And who said you can bring him here?"

"They looked at me funny. I was offended. And what do you mean, 'who said'? _I_ did."

"I never approved of this," Kid snarled at him, looming over him with a threatening gesture. His face reddened slightly because Law wasn't wearing his hat, today, and Kid wanted to clutch handfuls of that thick black hair in both hands and force Law's face up to his, and - "How dare you! How could you do this to me? How could you bring him here, knowing how I feel about the situation? You didn't even consider my feelings at all! You're such a selfish asshole, but I admire that brutality of yours."

"How _do_ you feel about the situation?" Law asked curiously, puzzled by his choice of words. He held his sword between them because Kid was standing much too close to him, and it looked like those painted fingernails were moments from grabbing him.

" _No one_. Calls me. By. My. First. Name," Kid snarled at him.

"Then let me be the first. Eustass."

"Stop saying my name."

"Eustass."

"I mean it."

"I feel dirty all of a sudden," Law observed, looking at himself with a frown.

" _Don't_ say it one more time."

Sanji suddenly popped up between them, a funny look to his face. He pushed Kid a couple of feet away with an elbow, then looked at Law with an irritated expression.

"I think you both can carry a conversation without either of you having to be so close to do it," Sanji said tightly, crossing his arms over his chest. "Intimacy like that suggests many things to an onlooker."

"He wasn't that close," Law assured him, hand on the small of his back as he leaned in and kissed the back of his neck, amused at his reaction.

Sanji reacted with a scramble away while Kid turned brilliant red and roared, "NOT IN FRONT OF ME! What the hell are you guys doing here, anyway?"

"I don't know if you've ever met Sanji Blackleg, Kid," Law said, indicating Sanji as Sanji frowned at him. "I want you to look at him. Get to know his face. This piece of art is the heart of my life – but he's playing coy, about it. I just wanted to show him off because I'm happy he's back."

Kid looked ready to kill him, Sanji noticed, watching him cautiously from a few feet away. Kid looked like the type to strangle a lover and hide the evidence – or save it for later. But he also did not like the way Kid looked at Law. It made his spine stiffen, and his lips to tighten, and he felt the almost irresistible impulse to kick them both because how could Law just _stand_ there, knowing he was enticing the other man into suggestive violence, and Kid just _look_ at him that way so rudely –

Then he realized he was jealous, and he told himself he didn't need to be, because that would mean he had feelings for the other man, and he _must_ , because Kid really bothered him just standing there, and he just did not like the way Law allowed his space to be invaded like that –

With a growl, Sanji turned to look in the other direction, trying to sort out the feelings inside of him.

"I've seen better, looking into the mirror, everyday," Kid told Law with a snarl.

"Must've been looking in the wrong mirror, then," Sanji heard himself mutter, then froze, startled at his own impulse.

"This is a private conversation between two men," Kid then said to Sanji, having to bend slightly to look at him over his shoulder. "Can you please remove yourself from the situation? Permanently? _Again_?"

"Are those lips black on purpose? Or did you get bored and decide to draw on yourself?" Sanji asked him snottily.

"What are you talking about? Your eye will match the color of my lips if you don't back off. And you know exactly what I'm talking about," Kid growled, shaking a massive fist near Sanji's cheek. "I did not just create a Pinterest account for shits and giggles."

"Do you shave your eyebrows and redraw them?"

" _You take that back_."

"They're crooked. Just like your personality."

"You catty little shit - ! Let's talk about yours!"

Law looked at his watch. Then frowned. It was close to Sanji's resetting period, and he didn't want to leave him in such a vulnerable state in the midst of a confrontation with someone like Kid. With a boot placed on Kid's hip and a hand on Sanji's shoulder, he separated the two.

"Enough admiring him. We're needed elsewhere."

"I wasn't 'admiring' - ! Don't you dare leave - ! ARGH!" Kid screamed with frustration, once again left with nothing of the other man's presence as he disappeared away from him. He dropped to his knees, fists on the dirt. "DAMN IT!"

"Give it up, Kid," Killer said with an impatient sigh.

Back at the condo, Sanji looked at Law with a suspicious expression. Law was busy looking at Apoo's Tea Party supplies, sorting them carefully from the ones he'd already taken from Kid. "Both of you guys look pretty chummy," he said, loosening his tie and cuffs, rolling up his sleeves.

"He's not someone anyone can take seriously. Those kids really are the worst," Law said, attaching neon colored stickers to each vial before labeling them carefully with a Sharpie. "That one has weird ideas. He might have a crush on me, or he might just be another Buffalo Bill. It's still the same vibe."

"Buffalo Bill?" Sanji asked, trying to place name with a face.

"Never mind. We've got five minutes. I forgot to ask while we were out if you'd like to pick up cigarettes."

"YES, please!"

"Then we'll get them when we're back on the road. What did you think about today, Sanji?" Law asked him, sitting at the edge of his desk as Sanji fixed his sleeves. "Did any of those losers jostle anything about how you came here? Other than Chopper?"

"Nothing. They're all familiar faces. I've met or seen them before. We've battled each other out there – "

"On the ocean?"

"East Blue, West Blue, North Blue, South –most were on the Grand Line."

"And what is that?" Law asked him, gesturing at him to come close to him, but Sanji looked at his hand with apprehension, then at him with a frown. "In four more minutes, Sanji, you won't remember this at all. Let's spend it close together – I promise you, I won't do anything you aren't comfortable with."

" _This_ is something I'm uncomfortable with," Sanji muttered, gesturing at his hand. "What are you going to do?"

"I just want a hug."

"Geez, if that's all you want, you don't have to make it like I'm walking to my impending doom, or something," he said, blushing as he walked forward, and then gave him a platonic hug – arms around the shoulders and a brief lean of his head against his. When Law wrapped his arms around his waist and hauled him up close with an affectionate air, he stiffened, hands shifting to push at his shoulders to get some space.

"Just a hug. Keep talking about this Grand Line of yours," Law said, feeling the heavy ache in his chest start building with pressure as the familiar smell of Sanji and the feel of his form against his invoked feelings of sadness and frustration. He shifted an arm up to touch the back of his head, the soft strands of his hair slipping through his fingers as he stroked the curve of his skull, feeling him breathe softly against his head.

There was a considerable shift in the air between them, and Sanji found that he couldn't push away. He could sense that Law was really hurting at that moment, hiding his face from his, but Sanji could feel the tension in his arms, in the feel of his fingers against his hair. If he pulled away now, he'd disrupt something desperate and sad, and Sanji didn't want to hurt his feelings. But his own heart slammed hard against his chest, and his breathing felt stilted, as if his lungs weren't allowing too much air – and his skin tingled with awareness, and if he inched in just a bit, he'd fit into the space Law gave him with ease. So he moved into the hug and felt the tightening of Law's arms around him, the feel of his forehead against his collarbone giving him a slight jolt. He didn't know what to say, words leaving him, but he pressed his chin against the top of his head and stroked his hair with his fingertips to give him some comfort. The smell of the man – a spicy musky scent – made his cheeks warm with sudden familiarity. The soft bristle of his hair against his skin, the feel of his body against his, made him feel as if he'd just come home from a long journey.

He enjoyed this sensation so much, thoughts leaving his mind – all he could think about was feeling as if he never wanted to leave this moment. But then he realized that he couldn't think at all – no coherent wording came to mind, and he stiffened as disorientation hit him hard, a tunnel of black surrounding his vision, as if he were moments from fainting. All he heard in the great distance were voices that weren't familiar; yelling, talking, whispering, and none of them made sense. Images flitted by, as if he were viewing them between trees, and dark places beckoned with odd noises and strange looking creatures with human faces pointed him in the direction of a path meant for him. Only one voice began to stand out – an older man telling him to hurry back to his crew, that they were waiting for him on the Thousand Sunny. The sound of the ocean, gentle waves slapping against the wooden walls of the Sunny, caught his attention. Only when he looked, the Sunny wasn't there at all. The waves continued to move amidst the sounds of the city until he realized he was looking at the blank walls of a room, and Luffy shouting at him for food caught his attention. Sanji thought he was still on board until he realized he didn't know his surroundings at all, and feet pounded on the deck as screams of excitement and joy took to the air.

When he pulled away to go yell at the trio to calm down, he was surprised to see Law in front of him with a devastated expression that he quickly hid with a turn of his head. Only he wasn't Law – this man was bigger than him. Dressed weirder. And his expression didn't make any sense at all. Before Sanji could sort that out, before he could realize what sort of position he was in, Luffy and Ussop burst into the room with plastic bags, but even they didn't look like the pair he was used to. They were yelling joyously, but not about food; they were running, not on the deck, but in the hall on carpeted floors.

Luffy had a rounder face, a bigger body, groomed hair – Ussop was darker, his hair braided down his back, and both of them wore clothes that looked odd on them. Skinny jeans, thick sneakers with vivid coloring, winter jackets that weren't made from animal or ghastly prints, and both of them looked at him with confusion, as if they were unsure of whom they were looking at at that moment.

"We did it, Law!" Luffy said instead, holding up the bags. "We got Bonney's and Hogback's last batch! Kid said you had some of his already. And Apoo yelled at us because you made it to him, first, and gave him a receipt from Walgreens instead of a blank check."

Sanji was confused at the mention of names, and finally realized that his hand was clasped tightly within another's. He looked down just in time to watch Law let him go, and his skin burned – wondering how that contact had happened in the first place. He couldn't even remember what was happening where the pair of them were together in this unknown room, or even what conversation had taken place. He wasn't even sure what to say as Ussop continued looking at him with a thoughtful expression, as if waiting for him to say something.

"Sanji, we retrieved Nami and the others," he said stoically, already knowing the story of how Sanji was separated from them. He only added to the tale to make the other man feel at ease. "She's in the kitchen, now. But she told me she doesn't want to talk about it – it was very traumatic. She's trying to move on from the situation."

Sanji understood immediately. "Okay. I won't mention it. It's good that they're alive. Stop running around in the halls. We're not animals."

"Yeesh, fine," Luffy said as Sanji left the room to go find his way back to the kitchen, Ussop going with him, talking all the way. He looked at Law with concern, finding the man with his hands to his face, rubbing his eyes with his fingers. "You okay?"

"I need coffee. All of it."

"You guys were pretty busy, this morning," Luffy said with amusement, setting down the bags near the one Law had taken from Apoo. "Drake's mad, Bonney's accusing you of being a peeping tom, Crocodile's ready to throw fists again, and Doffy sent out this weird Instagram post about how special adopted kids are."

"Idiot."

"I know!" Luffy laughed. "It's so fun! How will you do this, Law? Are you just going to slam them down, one by one? Can I watch?"

"No. This has to be done in a controlled setting. Bepo will be with me, as Shachi is completing his finals and Penguin's finishing his shift."

"Aw. I wanted to watch…"

"It's not entertainment!"

For a few moments, Luffy sensed that the other man was overloaded with thoughts and emotions that he couldn't quite touch. He said gently, "We all miss him. But at least we're all doing something about it. Maybe after you figure this out for yourself – "

"In reality, Strawhat, it's not the chemicals that are causing his – " Law paused suddenly, fingers to his chin. Then he looked at his watch again. Hastily, he turned away from a puzzled Luffy, and started writing down various notes on a sheet of paper nearby. "Do me a favor, Strawhat. Go to his room, find all his yearbooks, photo albums and charge that phone of his. It's in the nightstand drawer. Don't take off with the charger, either! Or I'll kill you."

"I have my own," Luffy said with an impatient sigh, wandering off to the other room to do so. Then he gave an excited shout. "I'm looking through all your stuff, old man Sanji! What are you going to do about it?"

"What stuff?" Sanji shouted back. "And stop yelling!"

"You're yelling, too!"

Law wrote down everything he'd observed of Sanji's resetting period, then added some notes of things he'd experiment with the next time it happened. He looked at his watch again, admittedly anxious for the next time it happened. He drummed his fingers atop of the desk, then pulled his phone out from his pocket, noticing that he'd missed calls and messages from various people. He ignored all of that and found the Instagram icon – he looked at Sanji's old Instagram account, thumbing through all the pictures and videos that he'd taken as a teen, causing Law's chest to hurt again; but when he found the right picture, he screenshot it and saved it to his album, then logged out of the app.

He hollered for Robin and Nami, collecting all the pictures in his phone album to send to his email account, then searched for his laptop amidst the mess.

"Oh, _god_ , what a terrible place to die," Nami observed, looking into the room with dismay, Robin peeking in after her. "Have you seen that show, 'Hoarders'? Or better yet, Cops? You'd be a perfect victim."

"Enough judgment. I need you to do something. You girls like decorating and all that, right? Take this flashdrive – if I find it – and take it the nearest photo shop. Make nice prints out of all of them. Then frame all of them in a way you see fitting of Sanji's style."

"What's this plan?" Robin asked curiously.

"Every time he resets, the first thing he thinks of is his pirate crew. If I can get him to see this life instead, I wonder if it'll create a different path for him to follow out of that madness he's caught in. It's just a theory."

"Brilliant! But what about the world that Hiluluk created for him? Won't he remember that world, anyway?"

"I'm certain that if he sees visuals of the life he lived before he became a pirate, I'm sure he'd remember something different. Meanwhile," Law finally found his laptop underneath some take out boxes on his desk, Nami making a face and shaking her head with sad action while Robin poked at a pile of books leaning dangerously towards the left, "I'm going to go away for a bit. Keep him out of trouble, feed him, bathe him, make sure he gets plenty of walks, that sort of thing – get him cigarettes, he's dying."

"He's not a dog," Nami said crossly, as he started a frantic search for the flashdrive he'd spoken of earlier.

He found it, then looked at her with a start. "He's not? What am I to do with all that dog food I picked up earlier?"

Just give that to me!" she said impatiently, waiting for him to load the flashdrive with the items from his email.

"I know it's a huge thing to ask of anybody right now, but after you're done with all that, please hang them up on the walls. Buy a shitload of houseplants – hang them everywhere, put them in places where they used to be. Obviously, I'm not a plant person, I can barely keep myself alive. But if he has to take care of it, maybe that'll help, too."

"We can do all that," Robin assured him as Nami opened her mouth to protest. She then held her hand out, and Law handed her his credit card. Nami snatched that out of her hand and looked pleased. "What will you be doing in the meantime?"

"Experimenting," Law said, taking his notebook with him, and the bags that were collected.

"Why that and not your laptop?" Nami asked him with a frown, seeing his laptop left behind on the desk, battery nearly dead.

"I trust my own handwriting than I do with Word. Did you know that every time you open up the program, it will send a copy of your last saved document to NSA?"

" _Shut_ up."

"Oh, also, take him food shopping. Not Whole Foods, this time," he then said with impatience. "He's been bitching about kitchen supplies, let him get what he wants."

"Are there limits to this thing?" Nami asked curiously, eyes sparkling.

"It's not for you. I trust _you_ more than I do her, so keep her in line, too."

"Got it," Robin said, one of her arms waving the card in the air, Nami trying to snatch at it with a gasp. "We shall await your return."

"If possible? Have him talk to Zeff on the phone. Maybe it'll be different if Sanji heard his voice, rather than saw him. There has to be a loophole around the situation Hiluluk set up. Anyway, I'm gone."

"How is this man so fine on the outside, and have a room like _this_?" Nami asked once he left, looking at the room with dismay.

"I think it's sweet," Robin said with a smile. "It shows utter devotion to another human being."

Nami brightened as she thought about it, then carefully made her way out from the mess. "You bastards! We're leaving! All of you better stay out of trouble, too!"

"Where are you going?" Zoro asked curiously, looking up from the coffee Sanji was serving them, the man looking at her with puzzled action.

"But I'm starting lunch. Would you like one packed?" he asked.

"That's okay, hun, save it for Mr Pig, here," Nami said, pushing Luffy as the younger was eating from a plate of breakfast leftovers that Sanji had warmed up. "We're on a mission! Zoro! Take your phone off silent! I might need to make a few calls to you. Let's meet at the grocery store on Seventh and Oak at around…seven?"

"Seven's fine."

"Sanji, hun, Zoro and Luffy will show you where you can get your cancer sticks. All four of you stay out of trouble! I mean it! Luffy, text Law for Zeff's phone number, let them talk for a bit."

"Where is that old man?" Sanji asked, stirring the vegetables he had sautéing. "He's here?"

"He's around. Give him a call. Bye bye!" Nami then called out, making their way to the door.

"I wonder how he's doing," Sanji said, mainly to himself with a slight smile. "I haven't spoken to him in a while. I'm sure he's still alive, that immortal bastard."

"He is!" Luffy assured him, turning in his seat to talk with his mouthful. "He misses you terribly, I'm sure."

"I'm sure he wouldn't. He wouldn't admit that out loud. I hope he doesn't give me shit about my Wanted poster, again."

"What did you do that makes you so Wanted, Sanji?" Luffy asked him curiously. So Sanji had to remind him how much he was actually worth, relaying stories that neither Luffy, Zoro or Ussop had any idea of, but all of them listened patiently and chose their words carefully to indicate that they were aware of the world he lived in, but didn't partake in, themselves.

Later on that evening, Sanji was exhausted. He felt as if he'd run a marathon with weights on his feet, and the others were still chatting and as active as ever – Ussop pushed Luffy through the supermarket in a cart, Zoro picked out various things that the Sanji he knew liked, but Sanji kept putting them back because they didn't fit with his list. Zoro could not read the scrawl on that piece of paper – whatever Sanji was writing, it wasn't English or French. But when Sanji asked him where an item was, Zoro knew where it was. He pushed the cart with languid action as Sanji debated on what brand of onion salt to buy, muttering to himself about prices. Which confused Zoro, because Sanji had no concept of dollars and cents – just this 'belli' business that Sanji had tried to explain to him earlier, but gave up on.

"You feeling okay?" Zoro then asked with concern, noting that Sanji looked stressed.

"It's a little hot in here."

"So take off all your clothes!" Luffy sang, whooping as Ussop pushed him hard enough to sail down the aisle, much to the dismay of some customers that were intending on turning up their way.

" 'Take off all my - ?' _No_! What? No. There's snow outside!"

"It's a song," Zoro assured him. "But back to the earlier subject, you don't look so good."

"It's nothing. This island is really confusing, sometimes. I hate to bother all of you, but I feel as if I'm disconnected from everything. I feel like everything I talk about isn't something none of you know about," Sanji confessed, looking at both bottles in each hand. None of the words on the labels looked like coherent words. Just squiggles. He blinked hard a few times, feeling nauseous. "I feel like I'm missing something. Something important."

"It'll come. Here. You use this one," Zoro said, taking the bottle that looked familiar. He then frowned at Sanji as he wiped his forehead, revealing a matted hairline. His skin looked flushed and his eyes were glossy. He immediately pushed the cart away, reaching out to touch his shoulder. "Let's go home. You don't look good at all."

"I'm fine! Don't touch me. It's just a little hot."

"You either walk out on your own, or I carry you. Which is it?"

"Don't you dare - ! I will filet you into five hundred pieces - ! PUT ME DOWN! APE FACE! GREEN SLUG! LET GO!"

"Luffy, have Nami pay for this stuff. We're going home. He's sick," Zoro said to the two that raced up with puzzled expressions at the man he had over one shoulder. Suddenly Sanji lurched up, face green, and he reached for the closest thing possible to catch his vomit – Zoro's hood. Zoro froze as Luffy and Ussop cried out in disgust, other shoppers looking on with shock. "Yep. Definitely going home."

"It's the Ebola virus!" Ussop cried in panic. "It's back in full force! Everyone! Clear the path!"

"It's not Ebola, it's the dreaded Swine flu! Nami! Pay for our stuff! We have to go home!" Luffy then shouted, hands cupped around his mouth to be heard throughout the store.

"OH my God, _just text me_!" Nami screamed back from somewhere near the north side, furthest away from them.

"Oh _yeah_ ," Luffy mumbled, texting rapidly. He took a picture of the cart, then sent it, grabbing Ussop by the jacket to pull him along. Once they caught up to Zoro and Sanji, Sanji was puking again into a nearby trash can, Zoro tossing off his jacket and throwing it into the can as well. Luffy texted Law an update, then praised Ussop for his quick thinking as Ussop returned to them with a handful of plastic bags.

"Give me your jacket, Luffy," Zoro then said, hand out. Luffy gave it to him, unbothered by the cold, watching as Zoro fitted the hood over Sanji's head, spreading it out over his shoulders. It was so no one could look at him up close; Zoro knew how self conscious Sanji could be if he felt he were 'unkept' or unwell. "Get an Uber, or something."

"Already on their way," Ussop said, showing them the confirmation. "Sanji, you going to be alright?"

"He'll be fine. This is the good part, right? The withdrawal period? I'm pretty sure that's what everyone was waiting for," Zoro said, patting Sanji's back.

Luffy grew delighted, shaking in place while Ussop frowned. "Well, it depends. Sometimes people can die from withdrawal. I'm not saying he is, but if Law still doesn't know what he took, and how much of it over the years, without it, Sanji can very much wither up and die. Chemical dependency is rather tricky. He might need something else to counteract it, or take smaller dosages until he's completely weaned off."

Luffy and Zoro stared at him in silence, Sanji finally pushed away from the trashcan. "I'm not dying! What are you talking about? It's just a damn flu."

"Go back and get some Pedi-lyte," Ussop then advised Luffy. "A lot of Gatorade, maybe. Anything to replace electrolytes. I don't think this will be pretty. It's going to be intense."

"Right," Luffy said, running back into the store.

"Just text Nami - ! Ugh, never mind," Zoro said impatiently, opening a bag as Sanji started to dry heave. A car pulled up to the curb, and both of them helped him get in, the driver reacting with horror. But Zoro convinced him to go with a sword to the throat, and they were off.

Nearly three hours later, Bepo hurried through the front door, carrying recyclable bags of medical supplies, and a suitcase.

"Bear!" Luffy cried joyfully, jumping onto his back. "Where's Law?"

"I lost him. I'm so sorry," Bepo apologized, head low as he adjusted Law's sword over his arms, bags rustling at his sides. "One minute we were talking about Swan's fashionable vest, and the next he was gone. He left his phone. I truly don't know where he went. But I have some things for Sanji. Where is he?"

" 'Swan'?" Ussop questioned.

"For some reason, he was very interested in recounting the adventures of the film classic, 'The Warriors'."

"Sanji's dying in the bathroom," Nami said with concern, Robin assisting her with posting framed pictures on the living room wall. Bepo admired the place for several moments, mouth open with awe. The women had worked hard to make it look as it had when Zeff owned it, and every one of the pictures they hung were from Sanji's past. Pictures of them in school uniform, posing with Doffy and Corazon, with Penguin and Shachi, each Strawhat crewmate, and Zeff. It looked as if they'd taken a step back in time.

"Somehow, Law found a baseball uniform. He may or may not have been carrying a wiffle ball bat with him, talking about how he needed to intercept the Warriors before they return to their territory in the Bronx. This was all after I'd finally cornered him near the harbor, where he had intended on taking a swim to Zou to carry out a hostile takeover of a 1000 year old elephant before he received the announcement of the Warriors' treachery."

All of them stared at Bepo with consternation. He hung his large head. "I'm sorry. That wasn't very comforting, was it? This Tea Party thing is a real jerk. But he made me promise to come over and assist with Sanji if any of you had texted him. So, here I am. Don't worry – I am qualified to medically assist if necessary. Mr Doflamingo was able to contact his friend, Caesar, and Caesar was working on breaking down the chemical compounds of the formulas Law had gathered so he could create a withdrawal drug. Mr Corazon will call Law's phone once it is ready. As it is, a very concerned Mr Corazon is looking for Law as well."

"It appears Sanji is suffering from withdrawal symptoms. He's very modest, and won't let us help him in any way," Zoro said with irritation, indicating a shoe sized bruise on the side of his head.

"Modest Sanji is the worst Sanji," Luffy told Bepo seriously, picking at his nose. He had a similar bruise over his forehead and chin. "Very difficult. I hope you ate your Wheaties, this morning."

"I had a very fulfilling meal," Bepo assured him. "Now, please. Coffee. That is all I request. I also ask that all of you leave and return here in the morning. That'll make my job easier. Or, to make yours interesting, go help Mr Corazon find Law. But beware – he was quite determined to punish Swan and the others for killing Cyrus."

"Ah, how troublesome," Zoro muttered.

: :

Nearly a day later, Bepo heard the front door open and slam. He hastily left Sanji's side and looked out into the hallway, ready to fight if he needed to. Law stumbled in, tossing aside his wiffle ball bat, looking as if he'd stepped away from the Furies after a night of chasing after the Warriors. Bepo had no idea where he'd found face paint, but he stared at his friend with concern.

"NEVER. AGAIN," Law told him firmly, ripping off his hat and tossing it aside, then went to the kitchen to find something to drink. Bepo ventured over to him with a cautious tiptoe, tapping his claws together with a worried look. Washing his face in the sink, Bepo stopped him from dumping dish soap over his face, scolding him for being irresponsible. "Remove that movie from my Netflix library. How's the little Frenchie? I'm assuming he's here if you're here."

"Not good. The withdrawal symptoms are terrible. Mr Corazon said that Caesar hasn't finished with the breakdown quite yet. So Doflamingo went over to check on him, and you should be receiving a call any time, now. He said that if Sanji's withdrawal gets even worse, you need to take him to a hospital. As it is, he's suffering, and I fear that he'll get even worse – being forced cold turkey isn't the smartest thing we can do for him, right now. I suggest, if Caesar doesn't come up with a solution soon, that we should consider giving him small amounts until then. He can crash without it, after years of building a dependency on it."

"I understand."

"Even if it's just a small dosage, it shouldn't hurt him too much."

Law threw aside the towel, stripping out of the baseball uniform he was wearing, revealing only boxer shorts and socks. "Why am I wearing this? Whose dumb idea was it to – _this isn't even my underwear_!"

"That is horrifying," Bepo muttered, covering his eyes as Law stomped off. He grabbed some clothes, took a hasty shower, then redressed in 'pjs', considering that he had yet to do laundry. Once he made it to Sanji's room, the strong smells of vomit and sweat mixed with a strong chemical scent made him wince. The man was sweating profusely, legs jerking, shivering violently – yet he'd stripped the entire bed of sheets and was only laying in the center of it, teeth chattering. He was clad only in an undershirt and a pair of his sweats, the legs rolled up to his knees.

"Geez, look at you. You're a mess. It's time to clean up, you junkie," Law said to him, reaching for the wash cloth that Bepo must've been using on him earlier. He mopped at his exposed neck and shoulders. "No more needles. You need to think of our baby."

"GET OUT."

"Nope. This is for better or for worse, brat. When you gave me this ring, you promised for life!" Law told him, flashing the plain, silver band on his pinkie. Once Sanji caught sight of it, he snorted, hiding his distressed face behind shaking hands.

"What are you talking about? I said you were only my backup when it didn't work out with Nami!" Sanji said, slurring his words.

Law smiled with relief, wiping his forehead with the washcloth because Sanji remembered that small moment in time, when it seemed like such a long time ago. "And it didn't. And if you forget that again, I demand a divorce. So far, you've been gone for three years, you've taken shameless advantage of my money, and you've turned into a Tea Party slut. I didn't sign up for this."

"Shut up. Go play with your Furie friends. They like you better."

"You heard that, huh? How embarrassing. I had absolutely no control of myself. Now I see how you are the way you are, but I promise you, I'll help you find a way out of the Grand Line," Law said, taking a shaking hand in his, feeling how clammy and weak it felt in his grasp. He hated to think of the time when Sanji had overdosed in front of him, seeing how similar the scenes were, but there was hope in this moment. Maybe there was now an easier path for Sanji to find his way out from the delusions of a pirate life.

"You're a troublesome brat. You've caused me nothing but grief since you intercepted me on the stairs."

"It's your own fault you're a fucking perv."

Law leaned down and kissed his forehead, tasting the unpleasant mixture of chemicals, sweat and dank oils that made the room so uncomfortable. But he was happy because even if Sanji spoke to him in such an incoherent manner, he still remembered the important things. That was encouraging. "That I am."


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Thanks for all your reviews! :D I will definitely have to check out this 50 First Dates movie upon your recommendations.**

 **Chapter Twenty-Two:**

 **And The Red Queen's Off With Her Head**

Sanji flipped through the photo album with a furrowed brow. Every one of the pictures inside were alien to him, yet he recognized himself in every one. From pictures when he was very young to when he attended high school, he saw a life that wasn't the one he remembered. It frustrated him that this was his life – everyone insisted upon it. And he had admitted to himself, there were definitely times when he felt a slight familiarity with a situation, with a person, with a place, but it wasn't strong enough to conjure the right images and the right memory for him to hold it and know that it was so. He paused at a section where he, as a young teenager, was surrounded by girls in a school uniform, but he was only smiling brilliantly and not dying of a nosebleed because they were touching him. He couldn't see himself dressed that way – he couldn't see himself with rings, bracelets, a mobile phone. He couldn't see himself as a small child with a ponytail and bibbed collars. He couldn't see himself hugging Zeff so tight in one picture that the old man grimaced, with Luffy photobombing the event in the lower right corner.

It was almost as if he were viewing someone else's life!

But every morning, after taking a dosage from a 'Caesar Clown' to wean him off the chemical dependency on Hiluluk's 'tea', his routine to remind himself that he wasn't a pirate involved looking through these books to see himself as the others did. He no longer had reset periods, but the life he'd been convinced of having continued to be the only memory he had. Most of the adventures he'd had on the Grand Line had come together into one large melting pot of images with absolute real weight – but he could not remember himself as a child, in that world.

He'd heard Law mention to Bepo that the dosages Sanji was to take to help wean him from the Tea Party mixture continued to allow him to hallucinate this pirate world – but the less Sanji took and could cope without going into severe withdrawal, the more he felt he could see his 'real' memories as they emerged. He didn't understand how that worked, but he felt himself changing, feeling a little more coherent with each passing week. After taking the mixture himself, Law was convinced that this process would be better for Sanji's recovery – and he'd made plans with Luffy to get this stuff off the streets as well, which definitely bothered the younger generation of the syndicate heads; and relieved the older ones.

Sometimes Sanji found himself remembering a certain event or action, but most of the time, he was just a pirate getting used to land, again. Getting to know a whole other crew, which was so unlike his in so many different ways that he grew frustrated easily. Getting shackled to a life that wasn't as freeing as the other was, and knowing he'd never find All Blue, because such a thing was definitely a fairytale, leaving him feeling as if he'd been shorted a dream.

He was frozen in a time period of uncertainty and reluctant acceptance that his crew even existed. it was extremely difficult to deal with. He felt like an entirely different captive.

This was frustrating, to be told that each and every one of these pirate memories was just an imaginative lie. So did that mean that his entire life, his _whole existence_ was a lie? It couldn't be, if so many people remembered him differently. If they looked at him with certain action, spoke with him in certain tones, and expressed their memories with him that made him feel a tingle of awareness in that he _remembered, too_ ; just that the image was put somewhere else, waiting to be found.

Nearly a month later, he was still sorting out his feelings.

He put that photo album aside, and reached for another one. This one had mainly photos of himself and his friends at various events. Zoro's competitions, his own in Brazil, accompanying Zeff to various restaurant and business seminars, vacationing somewhere in the world with ridiculous getups and sunburns that looked painful – why couldn't he remember ever getting sunburned on the sea? Or flying on an airplane? What did it feel like, looking down at the world from hundreds of feet up on a moving vehicle?

Somewhere, in between the middle of looking at a sweaty Zoro – with Luffy and Ussop photobombing the proud teen and his even prouder father, Mihawk (father?!) – Sanji saw something else; Zoro looking at him with fishlips after a female competitor congratulated him with her phone number and an invite to her Instagram. The memory was so fleeting that Sanji looked up at the ceiling, squinting. The smell of his friend's sweat, the loud crowd of the gym arena, the sound of Mihawk talking to another competitor's parents hit him with clarity. But he couldn't remember where it had taken place. He couldn't say when it had happened. He could hear his own voice, but it sounded so foreign to him – so young, bright and cartoonishly excited; he couldn't really accept it as his own.

He quickly flipped through the rest of the album, thinking he'd see a picture of the scene, having mistaken it for a memory. But when he didn't find it, he sat there for a few moments, furrowing his brow once more. When the weight of it hit in that he remembered something as small as that moment, he had to tell himself that this was a true event. If it happened, it had to be a memory.

So his pirate life _was_ a lie.

But he couldn't let that go when that life had a bigger weight than this one did.

He threw the photo album away from him with a frustrated curse, then pressed his palms against his forehead. For the millionth time, he wished he were home. For the millionth-first time, he told himself that he was. Everyone insisted on it being so.

"Does my second most favorite person in the world need a hug?"

Sanji resisted reacting in surprise. He wasn't surprised that Law was nearby – the man never left him alone. And while he was grateful for it, he couldn't accept _why_ because he couldn't see himself in a relationship with another man, much less this one. At the same time, physical feeling always thought differently of his thought. If his own damn body could accept the other man like muscle memory involved in a kick, then it _had_ to be real…

Those feelings confused him, still.

He swallowed all the negative things he wanted to shout, to resist screaming in frustration, to keep from showing any sort of fragile emotion because he wasn't the type to do that in front of other men. But even that was difficult to hold back because _he felt he could_ in front of this one. The maelstrom of feelings happened again, and his fingers curled into his hair because of that.

"'Second'?" he asked shakily.

"Bepo will always be first."

"But he's an animal, not a person, technically."

"'Technically', yes. But only because he has a cute face and he's the best ever at infiltration and undercover tactics."

Sanji shifted his fingers slightly to look at the man, to see if he were speaking seriously. And of course, Law had a very serious expression to him that confused the hell out of Sanji – how could that face of his deliver such a ridiculous statement? "But he's a _bear_."

Those angry black slashes that were Law's eyebrows remained in an intense setting. "A polar bear, yes."

"From Zou. Zou is located atop Zunisha, a 1000 year old elephant."

"Well, Zou is an island between Greenland and Iceland. It is _mostly_ an animal preserve."

Sanji then removed his hands from his face, his expression scrunched with disbelief to look at the older man as he sat down at the edge of the bed, carrying a thick medical book on neurobiology in one hand. "'Infiltration and undercover tactics?' He's nine feet tall on his hindlegs! He's noticeable anywhere!"

"No one sees him until the last second, Sanji. I was extremely lucky and honored when he agreed to me breaking him out of a zoo in Norway. Animals don't belong in cages, and animals that talk definitely don't belong in a place where he can be oogled and humiliated every day."

Sanji stared at him for a few moments, wondering if he should believe him. "If he's so good at undercover and infiltration, why didn't he break himself out of the zoo?"

Law cleared his throat and said with a concerned expression, "I heard the neighbors fighting again. I wonder if they're headed to divorce because of the lady friend that visited last week. Scandalous. I think that if people carry on with affairs, they should do it away from home, at least."

"You avoided my question." Sanji kicked him, then scooted to the edge of the mattress as Law bent to retrieve his book. "I need to make breakfast."

"You and your questions drive me insane at four in the morning."

"But if I don't question things, did things even happen at all?" Sanji wondered, grabbing his pack of cigarettes and his lighter to head outside to the balcony. It was chilly, and the snow lying everywhere brightened the early morning rise of the sun. It was too cold for animals to call out, and the city plow scraped over thick ice in the road. Early morning commuters tread carefully, and a single plane seemed to hover overhead. He exhaled smoke with a frustrated expression, crossing an arm tightly over his chest to prop his elbow atop of it. He thought of the memory that had surfaced, and explored it gently.

Zoro had been embarrassed at first, when the girl approached him. Then annoyed because when Sanji found her account on Instagram, it was nothing but selfies and artful shots of a gym that she spent more time posing in than doing something in.

He felt the weight of a blanket being adjusted to his shoulders, and Sanji pulled himself away from the memory to clutch it. He said, "I'm tired of feeling this way."

"I know."

"We met when we were kids, right?"

"Yep."

"Then why aren't there any pictures of that?"

"There are. I just have to ask Cora for them. I chose not to view and collect my childhood the way you did."

"Why? what if you forget?" Sanji asked with concern.

"I have not forgot much of anything in my life," Law said, hands in his pockets as he looked over Sanji's distressed expression. "And if I did, I'd trust my feelings than I did my thoughts. My thoughts can lie to me however they want, but my instinct is there for a reason."

Sanji gave him a suspicious look. "That didn't apply to yesterday, when you claimed you had no memory of eating the last of the cookies I'd made that were to go to Nami."

"I still don't. It must've been Bepo."

"You had crumbs on your collar."

"Nami doesn't want them – she's on a diet."

"She doesn't need to diet, she's beautiful."

"Hmf."

Sanji mimicked him, making the same face he was. He couldn't help but smile, struggling not to react too much to the uncharacteristic expression and noise that Law made in response. He had the urge to reach out and touch him, but he _still_ couldn't bring himself to do so. He knew the man would not mind at all if Sanji touched him in some way, but Sanji couldn't bring up the bravery within himself to act on his impulse when he felt so unfamiliar with the concept of touching another man so playfully, flirtatiously. To behave unlike himself around him; no matter what his heart and impulse wanted.

He clutched the blanket instead, fisting his hands into the material with feelings of regret and want. "I want to see these pictures. Maybe I'll remember something from then."

"Then I'll have Cora send them over."

"I want to go over there. Have Cora show me."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Law finally said with a heavy sigh. "Cora will go on about all sorts of things and then fall into a mood."

"I like Cora, and we get along just great."

"Which is frightening."

"Isn't it?" Sanji put out the rest of his cigarette, frowning at the filter. It didn't taste like the handrolled ones he used to have – the tobacco was too bitter, too weak. The filter made it impossible to enjoy every last bit of the stick – but the stain on his fingers were gone, now, and he didn't have a tingle to his lips, anymore. "I'm going to take a shower and make breakfast. Any requests?"

"Those fluffy eggs, with the thing on the side. The green stuff. Coffee so black I have to chew it before I can swallow it." Law looked at Sanji for a few moments, knowing that Sanji still had problems with his food. But as time passed slowly for each of them, it was apparent that the chemicals he took had altered his sense of taste – as he was being weaned off the drugs, he was eating a little more. It wasn't a mental condition that gave him fear of a eating disorder – he hoped that by the time Sanji could go without that dosage Caesar had created that Sanji's sense of taste had come back.

Once back inside, Sanji looked at Law, a vague image hitting him at that moment. Law, as a child, was warning him not to upset Corazon because neither he or Doffy could stand the dramatics that happened as the result of it.

" _Over coffee and biscuits_?" he heard himself exclaim in a childish voice.

" _You make him cry, and I kick you down the stairs_ ," Law threatened him, with too serious eyes and a too serious frown.

" _Pft_ ," Sanji said, coming to the apartment anyway with a thermos of coffee that Zeff liked and chocolate dipped biscuits that he made himself. Cora cried, and Law did kick him down the stairs when they left the apartment to go to the corner market for mountain dew and candy.

"Do you still drink that stuff?" he asked aloud, Law looking at him with a frown as he shut the door behind them. "That green, fizzy – you always had a large cup of it. With a red straw. "

It took a few moments for Law to get what he was saying, but he did smile, causing Sanji's stomach to flutter. "Mountain Dew? No. It's been awhile since I had soda. Just coffee, now."

"Like Cora," Sanji said, much to Law's bewildered expression. Sanji looked off to the side, recalling several earlier images of Cora nursing a cup of coffee or something caffeinated in one hand, cigarette in the other, looking impossibly tired. "I wonder why Cora couldn't sleep, either."

"What made you think of that, anyway?"

"I don't know. But if you kick me down the stairs again, you'll regret it."

Law smiled because there was only a few times when that happened, and it was only when they were kids. "I'm glad you remember things like that."

Sanji folded the blanket and set it aside on the couch, chewing on the inside of his cheek before admitting quietly, "Even if I do, I still don't feel that it's real. It's frustrating. how do I know _you're_ not the ones telling me a lie?"

"Because these things come to you without us telling you that it happened. This thing about Cora, about the pop I used to drink as a child – kicking you down the stairs? I never mentioned any of that, before."

Sanji blinked, turning to look at him. "Then why do I feel so sad about losing everything I know as a pirate?"

"Because that bastard fuck Hiluluk took away a part of your life and convinced you that it was real. Think about it a little bit more, Sanji. Why can't you remember bigger parts of your childhood as a so-called pirate, and yet you can recall small pieces of the one you had here? You even mentioned the name of your third grade class pet -"

"Ginger, the gerbil."

"Right. And there's no indication of that in those albums, is there?"

"No," Sanji admitted, feeling apprehensive.

"Unfortunately, this whole thing will take time to fix. That's all it needs. And you're recovering your memory little by little every day – I understand you're feeling frustrated; that's fine. You should. You should be angry. You should be feeling every negative thing possible about this entire situation because it was unfair to you! But at the same time, don't deny our feelings and our memories of you – it's hard enough that you were gone all this time, but to continue to feel as if we never existed in the way that you were told, it's…an everyday sadness for us, too."

"I know," Sanji said quietly, looking at the floor between them. "But it's difficult when I have all these images and all these details and – it's frustrating to me because I'm not on the same page -!"

"If I could somehow reset your memories, I definitely would not hesitate to do so. Unfortunately, there's just not enough research in the world that could allow me to understand the mechanics of that idea – as advanced as medical science is today, the brain is something human beings have not yet quite conquered. Doing this, little by little, day by day – this is the only thing we can do."

"I understand. Thank you for your efforts. I wish I knew how to repay them."

"I have an idea, but it's probably not the same idea as yours."

Sanji looked at him with an embarrassed smile, still too new to this flirting thing.

"I was just going to suggest a cooked meal every night – what were _you_ thinking?"

" _Nothing_!"

"I can't tease you the way I used to, I feel like a lecher when I do," Law then decided, walking off with a heavy sigh, Sanji looking after him incredulously.

He wanted to call him back. He wanted to tell him that he felt these similar things when Law looked at him a certain way, or said a certain thing. But he swallowed his words back down and said nothing, and he clenched his hands with regret and fear again, heading for the kitchen.

Hours later, Corazon had an armful of albums that he was only too eager to show off, so Law left Sanji there because he didn't want to hear or see anything embarrassing. Doflamingo, when he realized that Corazon intended on taking them back through 'time and space' to their childhood, quickly had other things to do as well. Sanji found it entirely amusing that the two men were so quick to leave them alone. They sat together on the couch, each smoking a cigarette while a pair of minions lingered nearby with a fire extinguisher and 'just in case' items that Corazon asked for.

Sanji liked Corazon. The accident prone, chain-smoking younger brother was so emotionally invested in everything he did that when it didn't turn out right, he expressed himself appropriately for that moment. Yet he still had the impatience and strength to stand up to his dominating older brother in such a way that Doflamingo backed right off, and he enjoyed their relationship played out in front of him, sometimes. As he started to accept that Doflamingo was nothing more than a fifteen year old trapped into a forty year old man's body, Sanji found it easier to accept the random crap that left him and the fast food that Doflamingo threatened him with. Sometimes he'd see a memory or two of his previous interactions with the two men, and it made things easier – other times, he grew sad when he wondered just how Law managed to get through the day knowing that Doflamingo killed Corazon so heartlessly. he struggled hard to let go of the things that made sense to him as a pirate, but the weight of them was stronger than he realized.

Corazon was only too eager to bust out the photo albums to show off Law's childhood. "This was in Milan, when Doflamingo realized I had taken him," Corazon said, pointing to a very dirty, skinny and sullen faced child that the man was beaming over in a selfie in a very decorated restaurant bathroom, attendant looking at him with a shocked expression nearby.

"From where?" Sanji asked, incredulous as he examined the picture.

"A dumpster! Plucked him right out of it, I did! Ah, those were simpler times," Corazon said, looking at another, pointing at it. "This was in Rome, and this was when he accepted he was never going back home. Look how happy he was! I just knew we were going to have a good time!"

"You smuggled a living child out of his country without looking back? Why?"

"Seemed like a good idea at the time. No one claimed him, no one looked for him. Maybe that's where he gets his rebelliousness, nowadays. Maybe he wants to go back. Maybe he harbors secret fantasies of finding a family he's never known waiting for him to return. Maybe he resents me for taking him. Maybe he feels I've taken his life away from him, and - ! oh, excuse me, my eyes are sweating, again. Looking at stuff like this is so hard. But he's old enough to run away and make his own decisions, right? He doesn't need my permission to go back. If he wants to, he can! I can't say anything about it! I hope he doesn't feel like I'm holding him back, because I never did! I gave him options all his life! I was not a stifling person!"

Sanji tried not to show any amusement in the man's imagined pain, as Corazon held the photo album in his lap and looked over the pictures without showing him any. He sucked his lips between his teeth and watched as Corazon sniffled over a couple of pictures of Law in a school uniform.

"He learned English so fast! But I thought it was only to insult Doflamingo because Doffy was always trying to get him to smuggle things for him, because they didn't search children back then," Corazon continued, plucking a picture from a sleeve and handing it to Sanji to examine. It was a picture of the pair of them standing at a beach, and Corazon had a happy smile on his face while Law looked upset, holding onto a dead fish. There was a thumb in the top left corner of the picture. "This was in Marsala. Sanji, I think it's romantic that you two are from the same area of the world, and you still ended up meeting where you did, how you did. Imagine, when you were kids, you saw the same sea and thought the same thing things. Perpignan. That's where you and Zeff are from."

At the thought of looking over the same sea with the same thoughts, Sanji did feel a twinge of romanticism in that remark. But he also found it amusing that Corazon was so accepting of their relationship, and how loving he was of the kid he'd 'plucked from a dumpster'. He looked at the man with affection, wondering how Law could possibly feel the way he did as an adult and avoid him – but Law wasn't that emotional of a person, either. He was more Doflamingo, which was ironic.

He wondered if Corazon was this type of person in the other world.

Corazon showed him another picture; this one with Sanji as an eight year old, holding up a tray full of baked goods, Doflamingo's back visible behind him. Sanji could see Law's black hair to the right of him, where he'd ducked behind the counter just to avoid having his picture taken. The kitchen behind Sanji was a mess – he could even see a gun just above the microwave. The next one Sanji marveled over, reaching for it. He was definitely a bright, happy kid – he couldn't imagine smiling that wide, looking that happy, but there he was. Next to him, Law as a thirteen year old stood with a frown on his face, looking quite embarrassed at something behind the camera. Their age difference was immense at this stage, but their close proximity to each other spoke volumes.

"What's happening here?" Sanji asked, unable to stop himself from smiling as he wondered what he'd been so happy about to smile that large. And he felt his heart flutter at seeing the man he knew as a child, looking bratty and real.

"Ah! This was when you two were headed off to Law's favorite market store – it had all those little books he loved reading back then. That's you, Sanji! That was you as a kid back then. You didn't take any of Law's shit, but you were such a happy child that Doffy and I – " Corazon trailed off, tightening his lips for a moment, then shrugged. "Well, we appreciated your efforts in giving Law something to do. Both of you were such good friends."

"Amazing," Sanji murmured, wondering why Corazon held himself back. Something niggled at the back of his mind. Something immense. Images tried to form, but they only regained weight as sea faring adventures, and he could not longer see the brilliant world as it was captured in this photograph. It was something out of a book, a photograph rendered by a very detailed artistic hand. "Hmm. Nice."

"It still is. My boy loves you so much – and I know you did, too. _Do_. Will learn again," Corazon added, Sanji feeling that flutter again.

"Why would he, though?" Sanji wondered.

"Ask him."

"Maybe another time," Sanji decided, feeling his cheeks flush with color.

"This one is when I took you both to the movies – only we didn't make it to the movies, that night. We sort of got lost on our way there," Corazon said, showing him a picture of Law throwing rocks at some seagulls and Sanji making a sandcastle on the beach. "We wound up at the lake, instead. For two days. Zeff was so mad. Doffy didn't even know we were gone. I'd forgotten my wallet at home, and I'd run the car out of gas, so we started walking, but we didn't get anywhere but even more lost. I'm so irresponsible."

"But we looked happy," Sanji said, amused.

"Oh, you and I were! You enjoyed adventure, Law just complained like he usually does, but he's just a worrywart. This little old couple took pity on us and let us stay with them – they actually sold the place to Zeff years later, and that's where he's at, now, Sanji. The bed and breakfast."

"I would love to revisit that memory," Sanji said wistfully, looking at the massive lake with its rocky shore line, the trees in the distance.

Corazon continued showing him every one of their pictures, and by the time Doflamingo ventured back with boxes of pizza and beer, Law texting impatiently, half of the day was gone. Corazon let him have a few of the pictures, which Sanji took gratefully, fitting them carefully in his wallet.

: :

That afternoon, Nami, Robin and Zoro sat with him at a small, stylish café, where they could look out onto the streets and watch the world pass by them through the tall windows. Sanji's mind was in the general distance as he thought about the visit with Corazon, about the pictures in both the albums and his wallet. Nami was telling them about a date she'd had the night before, Robin chuckling ever so often and Zoro zoning out, and Sanji found it so uncomfortable to even venture an opinion of his own when he himself wasn't sure of the dating rules in this world. Nami's tale of 'fuckboys' and chummy pick up lines went over his head.

"Well, there's always another," he said when she bemoaned the dating world.

"It's so hard finding the right one! Why can't I find one that isn't going to be such a dumbass?" she complained, lifting her tea cup to her lips and blowing gently. "It seemed like right as I hit college, all the boys in the world turned stupid! Are there any real men left?"

"You were lucky," Robin told Sanji with a smile. "I heard the dating pool for gay men is even worse."

 _I've never considered myself 'gay'_ , Sanji thought, unable to form an appropriate expression, so he ended up smiling weakly.

"That's not fair. We're not talking about you guys," Nami said with a huff, leaning on one palm. "Why can't guys understand that just because we give them just a bit of attention, we're not going to fuck them right away? That's all they want! They want notches, and not company! I should find a good father figure for conversation, and not a Bye Felipe."

 _What the hell is that_? Sanji wondered, looking at the ceiling as Robin chuckled. "His name was Felipe?"

Nami looked at him for a few moments, then shook her head. "It's the male version of 'Bye Felicia'. You know, from _Friday_?"

"Night?"

"It's an expression," Zoro said over Nami's impatient sigh. "In the movie, one of the main characters tells a nuisance chick 'Bye', and her name happens to be Felicia. It's an expression that simply means 'you're a waste of time, you're irritating, it's time for you to go away, now'. Felipe is the male version of it."

"So if someone is being irritating, it's 'Bye Felicia', or 'Bye, Felipe.'"

"Correct!" Robin said cheerfully.

"Maybe I should hit on one of the syndicate heads," Nami sighed wistfully. "Someone with power and money. Then I'll just sex him to death and take over his position, and I'll just choose my partners with a crook of my finger. Then I won't have to deal with this stupid dating thing with stupid boys."

Sanji looked at her with a scandalized expression, never expecting to hear such things from a woman like her, but she and Robin just laughed and Zoro snorted. Sanji sipped at his tea and wanted to go home. But he had to remind himself for the one millionth-and-second time that he _was_ home.

"It's who you are as a person that gets these guys coming around," Zoro said impatiently. "Maybe if you were a better person who valued herself a little more, you'd find somebody that looks at you with the same consideration. Running around with your bosoms hanging out half the time isn't going to get the attention of a man wanting just conversation."

Nami kicked him underneath the table. "Shut up, Zoro! Why should I hide myself? I shouldn't have to hide my body! I have a good body! I go to the gym, I eat right, I take my goddamn vitamins! I'm going to show off my hard work! There's no need to look like a damn nun!"

"I'm just saying! If a guy's going to approach you, he's going to be looking at your tits, and not hearing a thing that comes out of your mouth. That's just how it works!"

"Do you do that?"

"I'm a guy! I look at stuff! I have to bathe myself in holy water afterward, but it happens!"

"OH MY GOD!"

Sanji finished his tea and poured some more. Robin looked at him as the other two argued. "What did you do, today?" she asked him.

"I visited with Cora. I wanted to see pictures of myself and Law as children."

"And?"

"They were lovely."

"Is it getting easier, Sanji? To remember things as they'd happened?"

"A little. But it's still frustrating that the weight of my…imagined life is still so much stronger than the memories that are still…hiding. Occasionally, a part of myself comes out that I'm unfamiliar with, but I can't hold onto that moment for very long. I'm tired of this. I don't feel as if I fit in anywhere as a result of it."

"I understand," Robin said quietly, reaching out and touching his hand with hers, as Nami hit Zoro, and Zoro defended himself with a protest.

"I don't feel like anything is helping. Every day I come out and interact with others and I still feel disconnected with them."

"Will you be seeing a therapist?"

"Zeff recommended one that's close with all the syndicates, ironic as that is, but I feel that it's odd I'd have to tell another person this same thing and have a complete stranger tell me how I _should_ feel," Sanji said.

"So you haven't agreed to the idea of sharing your feelings with someone that is licensed and qualified to assist with feelings of depression and anxiety caused by a forced kidnapping and held against their will for a few years?"

"No. It's just frustrating," Sanji added, giving the idea a skeptic look as he withdrew his hand and set it on his lap, uncomfortable with the feeling of touching somebody that wore someone else's skin. "I want my life back, but I'm not sure which one."

"There is beauty in both worlds, Sanji," Robin said patiently. "With this one, you were the happiest. With the other, you thrived on adventure and excitement and freedom. You can have that here, you know. We're not exactly quiet. We have our fights, we have our adventures, but we also have responsibilities, as well. It might not be on the high seas, but this is an exciting city."

Sanji thought about it for a few moments, Nami and Zoro finally settling back down with huffs. Uncomfortable with continuing the subject, he asked Nami, "So, how are you finding these dates, anyway?"

"Go Fish. Tinder," Nami admitted.

"The mobile hookup," Zoro muttered. "What's wrong with meeting somebody accidentally in a grocery store and falling in love?"

' _My bride will be_ beautiful _! I'm going to find her on accident in a store one day, and we'll fall deep in love and make adorable babies and_ \- !'

"That doesn't happen in real life," Nami muttered childishly.

"Because you always have your phone up to your face!"

"He's got you there. There are some real fine specimens out there, Nami, you just have to look up to see them," Robin added.

Sanji wondered why Law didn't take the 'How To Charm The Ladies – Part One' book that he'd tried to give him when they were kids. He bet Law would've been swimming in marriage prospects by now, not looking at him with careful consideration every morning, seeing which person he was for that day.

 _He wanted to go home._

"But they're all either with kid, a wife, or a woman that wants to snatch out my hair," Nami said. "Sanji, maybe we should go out, someday. You and me. And you can help me pick a gentleman. Doesn't that sound nice?"

"We can do that," Sanji said.

"Pass," Zoro said immediately.

"Sanji has a good taste!" Robin said cheerfully, winking at him.

Later that day, Sanji put the finishing touches on a roast, Zeff frowning at him from the laptop propped nearby on the counter. Law was sitting at the dining room table with books around him, notes laid out, and he'd listened to the two men argue and snap their way through a roast recipe that apparently included a lot of 'too much fucking salt' to 'not enough fucking spices' to 'shitty coronary embolisms caused by improper sautéing techniques'. He thought his relationship with Corazon and Doflamingo was peppery; Sanji's and Zeff's were downright cantankerous, with Sanji throwing a fit over not doing something long enough, to Zeff cursing up a storm for being told he 'didn't know vegetables any better than stocking boy at a grocery mart'.

But the food smelled good, through. Sanji was cooking to celebrate Shachi's passing grades, and they were expected to visit later that night with a pile of movies they wanted Sanji to watch. It was unfortunate that Sanji still felt the need to attack Zeff if they were close enough to each other to do so, but they kept in constant contact with each other over electronics. At first it startled him in that the way they talked to each other was violent and full of misunderstandings – but it became apparent that this was their relationship. Law had no doubt that if Zeff were here in person, Sanji would still be all over him like he was when he were younger.

When Zeff hoped that Sanji food poisoned everybody with shits for a week, Law heard Sanji growl, and quickly swapped out the laptop with a book, hearing the resulting slam of the book on the counter as Sanji made to slam it shut. Without turning it in his direction, he closed the laptop and pulled his glasses off.

When the oven door slammed shut, and dishes rattled in the sink, Law looked over with amusement. Sanji was glaring at the mess he'd made and cleaning it with the ferocity of a man possessed, so Law was just going to stay out of his way and hope he didn't get thirsty anytime soon. But he did see that he needed more coffee. He debated on getting a refill, listing out the pros and cons of venturing into the kitchen while Sanji was pissed; he was still recovering from that teeping kick in the thigh Sanji had given out when he'd crossed the linoleum for a glass of water while Sanji was fighting with Zeff on the laptop. He looked back at him, judging the distance between himself and the Keurig.

Then looked at his empty cup again. He was pretty thirsty. He felt he might die if he didn't get another refill in the next ten minutes. It really had been much too long since he had a cup. He cleared his throat to ask if he could get a refill when Sanji snapped at him, " _WHAT_?"

Law decided he wasn't going to die, after all. "Just an itch in my throat."

Sanji angrily cleaned the kitchen, angrily cleaned the dishes, dried each one individually and put them away, then checked on the roast, then swept and mopped the kitchen and the front hall. Then occupied himself cleaning the bathroom, going from room to room to gather up laundry, then started vacuuming. Law wondered if it were safe to leave the table, yet, and moved his chair to get that refill he'd been wanting when Sanji bellowed at him to stay out of the kitchen, that the floor wasn't dry yet.

"I am a strong, independent man that doesn't need another one telling him what to do," Law told himself, rising from the chair with his mug.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?"

"You're absolutely right, dear." _So this is what my life has come to_ , Law thought, sitting slowly with his mug. _This is what it feels like to live on edge, all the time_.

He tried not to laugh at himself but a chuckle escaped and Sanji was looking at him from down the hall with the vacuum cleaner, looking murderous. So Law tightened his jaw and looked back at his books and tried very hard to ignore the persistent thirst in his throat, the ache for caffeine.

'Help me, I'm being held against my will,' he then texted once the vacuum restarted.

'I'm very positive it's all your fault,' was Penguin's response.

'Talk to him about meninism, and you'll find yourself outside in three seconds,' Shachi texted back.

'Offer to help him clean,' Bepo suggested.

'All of you are disowned from my inheritance,' Law responded as Sanji put the vacuum cleaner back into the closet, then snatched the dusting rags with a huff, Windex and Pledge cans under one arm.

'What _inheritance_?' all of them texted back.

 _I need new friends_ , Law decided.

"Who the fuck does he think he is, telling me my cooking is shit?" Sanji huffed, wiping down the nearby entertainment center, then angrily rearranging the movies next to it. "I know how to fucking cook. That shitty old fart can choke on his fucking fu Manchu, that piece of shit. _I know how to cook_! I can cook anything under any conditions with anything given to me!"

Law wondered if he were part of this conversation. He bit his lip and tried to find the right things to say. Then he watched as Sanji aggressively cleaned the sliding doors, then fluffed out the throw pillows –where did those come from, anyway? – then set his eyes on the dining room table. They made eye contact, and Law knew better than to stand his ground. He gathered up his books, notes, paper and colored pens.

 _I am a strong, independent man that doesn't need another to tell him what to do_ , he thought to himself, putting his things away neatly and in order in his room, where Sanji had rearranged everything to have it resemble an actual bedroom. He had actual matching bedsheets, pillows, lamps, curtains, the walls had some sort of mannish decoration on them, and he had an actual laundry basket, and it looked straight out of a furniture ad.

 _Who am I?_ he thought, looking around himself wondrously, hearing the vacuum cleaner go off again. When he returned to the living room, Sanji had put the vacuum away, but was waiting for him to come out from the hall. Law was happy to see that his coffee cup had been refilled and was the right color and temperature, and he sat back at the table with a smile while Sanji flitted around the kitchen, searching for all his dinner dish sets – the china with the blue orchids, and not the peach daisies. When the table was set and Law had done nothing but finished his coffee and wondered when he could talk, the others had finally arrived.

Penguin and Shachi were immediately all over him, teasing him for looking so meek, Sanji surprised when Bepo walked in with Luffy hanging on his back, the bear looking traumatized. Before he could shut the door, Corazon and a minion walked in with extra food, and Sanji hastily reset the table and had everyone situated so he could start serving them. He was happiest being in the position he was in, because the attention was off him and his confusion and disappointment with the world, and every one was involved with each other, and it almost felt like 'home', again.

Amidst the cheer of the guys that teased each other, Luffy's loud shouting across the table to be heard, Corazon's exclamations to others' conversations, Sanji finally felt himself smile with relief, too busy to think about other things.

Hours later, after they'd all gone home, Sanji cleaned everything back to its immaculate state. Then watered the plants while Law sat on the couch, exhausted from the hours of entertaining others, and from watching Sanji move about.

"Can you please just _sit down_?" he asked from behind an arm, which was lying over his eyes and cheeks.

Sanji looked at him, frowning slightly. Now that it was just the two of them, he thought of the pictures in his wallet. He set aside the watering can, and removed his apron, putting it away properly in a nearby kitchen closet. He walked over to the living room, sitting a safe distance away on one of the easy chairs. Then felt awkward about it, because why should he choose to sit this distance away when there were these feelings, and it was only them, and every one of their close friends and family – and the entire city syndicate network – knew that they were a couple?

He looked from his position to the couch, trying to drum up the courage needed to get up and take a seat next to Law. his skin itched for that contact. His heart wanted him to do so; not to take a seat next to him, but in his lap. Like he used to. But he couldn't _remember_ those moments, so why was this instinct wanting him to? He started to sweat. He should just do it. But what if Law wanted his space after everyone had been over? He was such a quiet, personal man with a wide bubble of needed distance from others – what if he didn't want Sanji sitting next to him?

Sanji chewed at the inside of his mouth as Law finally realized that Sanji was still and quiet. When he removed his arm from his face, he saw that the man was glaring at the couch with such a concentrative expression that Law tried to think back and guess what he'd done to make the man upset. He looked for anything out of place, but Sanji had the place sparkling clean.

With a heave of impatience meant only for himself, his head and heart battling each other fiercely over wants and needs, Sanji said, "It was a long day, today. I think I'll go to bed."

"It sure was."

Severely disappointed with himself, Sanji rose from the chair and went to his room, and Law wondered if he could keep doing this. The man just didn't seem to return his feelings, keeping himself a distance away from him. With a heavy heart, he straightened up from the couch and rested his elbows on his knees, hands on his forehead, trying hard not to feel so rejected. He found himself wondering for the one millionth and fortieth time if Sanji ever would look at him the same way, again. This platonic thing was killing him. He had to wonder if he should continue giving him a respectable distance, or just go in for the kill, lay his feelings on Sanji and talk to have it straightened out.

But he didn't dare want to think of the negative outcome. The very presence of it made him nauseous. It had been so much easier going in for the kill when Sanji was younger – but as a man, Sanji pretty much knew what he wanted and he didn't give any indication that Law was one of them. He only went with the motion because everyone insisted that this was so – it wasn't Sanji's decision.

He wished he had some sort of a sign that Sanji still cared for him. But ever since Sanji beat the withdrawal period, he'd never showed any resetting signs or reverted back to his former self. He was just pirate Sanji, trying to cope, remembering things here and there but missing his imagined life. Giving no indication that he had feelings for Law, at all.

He rose from the couch, and turned off all the lights. As he was walking to his room, he looked at Sanji's closed door. He wished he could just barge right in and demand that Sanji tell him if he had a chance, but he feared the negative answer the most. He continued to his room and shut the door, feeling heartache all over again. he flopped onto his bed and wished he had the courage to tell Sanji what he felt. But he thought he was pretty outright with his feelings. Nothing made him happier than having Sanji around.

Meanwhile, Sanji chewed at his fingernails, staring at his door. He'd heard the man pause outside his room. He wished he'd left the door open. He wished he'd just sat down and said something. Maybe he still could. The place was too quiet, now. He wasn't sure if he'd ever get used to the stillness of the place when he was so used to hearing the sea – no, he had to stop thinking like that. He'd never been to sea. He'd never sailed on a pirate ship. _He was never a pirate_.

He clenched his fists. It was too quiet. It was too still. He rose up from his bed and quietly eased the door open, just to see Law's door shut. He hesitated for a moment, debating on interrupting. What if the man just wanted his space back? What if he were asleep? What if - ?

Finally, Sanji just kicked the door open because if he were going to do something terribly difficult and it required courage and bravery to do it, then he wasn't going to just stand there meekly. He wasn't a meek man!

"You shitty bastard, if you have something to say to me, you better say it right now!" he snapped at a very startled Law, who had a book in hand. But it was upside down. So Sanji figured he'd startled him pretty hard to just grab something nearby, and –

"What. The. Hell," was all Law said, incredulity in his tone as Sanji stormed into his room like he were set on cleaning it. "What is with you and kicking things all the time?"

"First off, if you can't find the things you need to say, then I'm going to say it, first," Sanji said, feeling his ears start to warm. "I may not be fully here in this world, but I'm getting bits and pieces back! I'm fully aware that I haven't been able to address certain things, and I'm sorry about that. But I just want you to know that I appreciate each and every thing you've ever done for me. Even more so that you're taking it easy on me when it comes t-to, ah, when it comes to – this – _this_ – uhhhhh… _uuuuhhhhssss_. To us. _US_! As a…as a _relation_ ship. Between…two men. Us. Um….as a couple. A… _aye_ …yes. _So_. I've had trouble with that, but I haven't – I remember it. Not in my mind, but…but in my heart. So. So there. it's out. It's out there."

Then he exhaled with satisfaction, because it really felt good getting that off his chest. His pleased smile split his face and he waited for Law to give a response, but the man looked like he was having trouble figuring out what Sanji had just stammered his way through.

"Wow. Well. I guess – " Law made to answer, but Sanji said over him, "I won't accept anything negative in response to my confession."

Law sucked his lips in between his teeth as he stared at Sanji in silence. He wanted to laugh but he didn't dare because he was in Sanji's kicking range and he was afraid that his display of emotion would somehow tip Sanji off the edge. He set his book down, suddenly aware that it was upside down – he'd grabbed it in panic, really, not expecting the attack – and said calmly, "And you had to kick the door down to say that? Most people knock politely before they enter anything – "

"Says you and your teleportation abilities."

Law set his jaw. "You little shit. You're so spunky, sometimes."

"Well? What have you to say in response?" Sanji demanded.

"I'm glad you said that to me," Law said with a relieved smile. "I was really starting to question whether or not you felt anything."

"Of course I did," Sanji mumbled. "But I had to sort my feelings out, first. This entire time has been difficult. The conclusion I came to is that this is constant. Confusing to a certain level, but it is constant. I just…feel very lonely, sometimes. Um, as in…imprinting. Like a bird? A …"

"Pretty sure it's the other way around."

"Lies. I'm a meek, impressionable fellow, foreign in the ways of – "

At that, Law laughed because Sanji started to believe in himself as such, and this situation absolutely negated that. Sanji scowled at him, his hands flitting nervously around his collar and tie, and Law left the bed to hug him, squeezing him tightly, feeling relieved in everything. Sanji stiffened for a moment, heart racing – but once the feel of the other man, combined with the familiar scent, the familiar press and weight of Law around him settled in, his muscles relaxed. And he felt relieved all over again because this was what he needed.

He drew his hands up, then curled them around the other man's waist, then up and over his back to hug him just as tightly. It felt so natural and right that he wondered why he took so long to do so, snuggling up into the space that his body knew fit them best. He felt Law squeeze him again, a sound of relief leaving him. Embarrassed by his own satisfied reaction to physical contact, Sanji just felt his face redden with a blush but his smile was very pleased.

He kissed Law's shoulder, then his neck, moving towards his face. Law pulled back and met him in the middle, and Sanji really _really_ wished he'd done this much sooner. As soon as contact was made, he felt a jumble of feelings that were a mixture of things that involved some confusion, betrayal of himself, awkward fear, delight, pleasure - but the only image that really stood out was when they were at the coffee shop for the last time.

"You're such a brat," Law told him between kisses. "Making me wait like this."

"If you had any balls, you would've said something much earlier," Sanji returned, cradling his face between his hands, following him when he made to pull away to give an incredulous reply. "But you didn't, so here we are."

Then he pulled back, reaching for his wallet – before Law could kiss him again, Sanji showed him the pictures Corazon had given them. Law pulled away with an awkward grimace, Sanji saying, "I don't remember ever smiling like this unless it was over the All Blue. But here is proof of it. With you. And I feel this way with you, only I couldn't say it out loud until I figured it out for myself. So this is constant – the only reason why I fight myself over it is because in the other world, I hadn't such a relationship. But I needed to see this. This is proof."

"Seeing those things are quite painful – "

"I adore it," Sanji said, pulling out of his arms to smile at their past. "As children, we were happy – "

"Kids don't know anything about happiness until they're adults."

"That's something I'd expect you to say," Sanji said, slipping the pictures between them as Law bent to kiss him again. "But now that I've said something, I want to add that it won't be the same. I, uh…"

"Can we please stop talking?"

"I'm shy, dammit. I can't… I feel like – "

"Just stop talking. Just feel. You'll remember how to," Law assured him, pushing the pictures aside, kissing his neck, reaching up to pull his tie from his shirt.

"Go slow!" Sanji insisted, feeling slightly overwhelmed at the physical feelings he received as he felt Law's mouth on his throat, his hands moving over him to push and pull and maneuver him for easier access. He moved to push him back, but then he felt Law's tongue over his flesh, and it went straight to other places, and he just ended up holding onto him, anyway, dizzy with physical sensation and seemingly new feelings of want now that certain things were being awakened. He focused on the physical sensation, knowing he could lose all sense of thought if he just went with it. His skin seemed to shudder with the feel of the man's hands on him.

He managed to pull away, breathing slightly heavy. "Wait. I'm not done."

"Fine. What?"

"I want to know if Hiluluk is still nearby."

Law put some distance between them, frowning at Sanji. "Why?"

"I've been struggling to remember things. I mean, every day I take this medication, only to end up still hallucinating a world that doesn't exist so my body doesn't shut down completely, right? After seeing all these pictures and having some of these memories come back – I want to know why he did it. I want to talk to him myself."

"No. The only reason why he did it was to get revenge on Zeff. That was his motivation. He wanted to hurt him by going through you with a chemical attack to devastate his relationship with you."

"He told you this himself?"

"Yes."

"Then I need to hear it for myself."

"No."

" _Why_?"

"I would give you anything you wanted, within reason, but this – this is something you don't need to do. I don't want you going anywhere near this bastard after what he did to you. If anything, he might still have the power to suggest something in you to trigger something else – he had you for three fucking years, Sanji. He had more than enough time to think of a way to manipulate your head into thinking you were another person. He might have had other contingency plans for situations such as this one. if he saw you again, he could have prepared you for another trigger that could undo everything that's been done so far. I don't want you seeing him, you don't need to talk to him. He fucked you up, and that's all you need to know. Why would you even think you'd need to talk to him?"

"Because I want to know for myself why he did this."

"I refuse to help you on this."

"I need to know – I have questions of my own. I need to confront him – it wasn't fair for him to do this to me, I want to know _why_ for myself!"

"No. you don't need to know anything other than what I just told you. You don't need to see him. You don't need to ask him shit. If you think I'd willingly let you do this, you're still hallucinating."

Sanji narrowed his eyes, pulling completely away from him. "So you won't tell me where he is."

"No. Forget about him. Move on."

"I can't!"

"You can without any contact with him!"

"This is something I need to do, Law!"

"I won't help you," Law snapped at him. "It's a stupid idea. How could you not get that?"

"Either you take me to see him, or I'll do it myself."

Law narrowed his eyes. Then he crossed his arms. Sanji realized he had his answer, and he scowled at him.

"I'll make sure _no one_ finds this request reasonable," Law said firmly.

Sanji frowned at him, then turned and slammed his door shut on the way out. Once in his room, he found his phone near the photo albums, the battery almost on red – Law had shown him how to use it. He paused in his quest to look at the wallpaper, of both of them grinning at the camera. It made his heart ache to see something that made him – both of them – so happy, but he couldn't remember it.

He scrolled through the message app and found the one person that he knew would go against Law's 'rules' and reasons, and sent him a message. He was determined to move on, to press forward, but he needed to talk to Hiluluk himself in order to do so.


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: This chapter was a struggle to write. Only because it's ending, and I'm gassed out. (throw in the white towel, coach, please!) : (**

 **SiberianRS:** **It's good that you can't! Feeling things is very good, indeed!**

 **Guest: Find out in this chapter! Sanji is a kinda stubborn fellow. :D**

 **Chapter Twenty-Three:**

 **Remember What The Dormouse Said…**

Hiluluk was bearded, thin, but his expression was tight. When Sanji looked at him, the old man smirked, rising to stand within his cell. His wild hair was ghostly white, and his hands shook as he clenched them. But his lips curled with a mad smile, and Sanji felt all his feelings boiling in the center of his chest. All the anger, helpless frustration and bitterness that he felt for losing the last three years came to his throat in a hot ball of weight.

"Aren't you looking well-fed?" Hiluluk asked, giving him a scanning onceover with a curl of his lip. "I told you you'd take to fat very easily if you weren't careful."

Sanji knew it wasn't so, not when his friends were worried that he didn't eat enough. It struck him that a complete stranger would say such cruel things to another.

Behind him sitting on the stairway, Doflamingo scrolled through his apps, eating one of Sanji's boxed dinners, phone on his knee, using his pinkie to maneuver about while a minion stood by with a soda and another held another cellphone that he answered when it vibrated. The man was only too happy to assist because he knew it'd piss Law off. The only way Sanji could leave the place was tricking Law into "remembering" that Kureha had taken him to an abandoned house on the north side of the city. After Law left their place to look for clues into the woman's disappearance, Sanji had then took an Uber to where they'd last run into Kid, and convinced the man with a fake accusation that Law was waiting for him at that location, citing a huge fight between them over the man. Kid was only too eager to jump at the chance, and Sanji knew that he would keep Law distracted for awhile. That sort of treachery had made Doflamingo only too happy to help – especially when Sanji presented him the boxed dinner for his efforts.

"I've been regaining my memory, little by little," Sanji said, hands in his pockets as he looked the man over. Hiluluk seemed to have shrunk in size since he last saw him. But despite his pitiful appearance, Sanji still had words to say. "And all that comes back is… 'why'? Why me? Why make such a tremendous effort on one person to get back at another? Wouldn't it have been easier just to pull a gun?"

Hiluluk smirked at him, leaning against the cell with both hands curling around the bars. "How is your relationship with Zeff? Can you hug him, now?"

"No. But we talk. On the phone, through the laptop."

"Then I've succeeded. Months later, and you still can't approach that man without wanting to kill him, right? Even if the reason has faded, it's instinct, now, to attack!"

"As time passes, the instinct quiets."

"Yes, but how much time? Even if that Donquixote brat was able to figure out how to counteract the Tea Party's effects, it's been three years of your own body developing a dependence on it. Even if you're being weaned from it, you're still hallucinating! You wake up thinking you're on a ship to no where with friends that aren't the ones you knew before, and you've survived tribulation and glory to get this far – you're still not present! The White Rabbit brought you down this shit hole, but it's the Tea Party that will make you stay, Alice! Zeff did everything he could to keep you from this world, but your curiosity got the better of you, and look where you are, now," Hiluluk said, a crazed tone in his rising voice as he smiled up at Sanji. "Unable to leave the table after being served. _Now_ what will happen to you? _Now_ what will you do? You still need to find your way back home, right? What if the direction you chose is the wrong direction?"

"Why so much effort on someone that had no idea about that life in the first place?" Sanji exclaimed. "I knew nothing about it!"

"So they tell you, right? Your friends? Zeff? You knew nothing, you claim, but yet when I took you out for the first time, your body knew instinctively where to strike a killing blow. Try and remember that moment! The first time you killed someone!"

Sanji looked at him in horror. Even Doflamingo spit out his food with a surprised noise, rising carefully to look over the man in the cage. "There's no way I could've - !"

"You don't know, do you?" Hiluluk asked, deliberately slow. "Of course you wouldn't. You only remember the things I told you you should. All the tales of adventure, the personalities of your friends, your past – did you find the All Blue, yet? You never will, here in this world."

"Why are you so cruel to someone you don't even know?" Sanji asked, swallowing hard as the thought of hurting someone else rendered his limbs heavy and his throat tight.

"Because I hate that man!" Hiluluk snapped, clutching the bars again. "He took away the only part of my life that gave me joy and happiness! When I saw what he had with you, that he hid the last remaining Vinsmoke away, bringing him up as his own, I _had_ to destroy everything that gave him all that had been taken from me! And I succeeded! Look at you! You're a fat, worthless mess! Probably only good for lying on your back for that brat of Corazon's!"

Doflamingo kicked the bars, causing Hiluluk to jerk back with a startled cry, so focused on Sanji he forgot the other man was even there. "Hey, calm down in there."

"You took away _three years of my life_!" Sanji exclaimed, gaping at a man that only glared back at him with hatred. " _Three years_ that I'll never get back! Three years of broken relationships that I have to rebuild, and even then, my head's so screwed up,I can't even look at anybody the same way! If you wanted to punish Zeff for what he did to you, couldn't you have just pulled a gun?"

"No," Hiluluk said, blinking at him. "No. This way is so much sweeter. The pain is different. Will you ever be the same? Probably not. Will you live the same as you had before? No. you'll still think you're pirate Sanji Blackleg, looking for the All Blue, adventuring with friends to find the One Piece. Will you find it? Probably not. Not while you're trapped here. It's time you left this island, Sanji. Go find your real friends."

Doflamingo kicked the bars once more as Sanji found himself feeling heavy headed, hearing the sound of waves against the Sunny once more. A distant calling of seagulls, the sound of excited screams and shouts behind him. His head twitched, wanting to look in the direction of heavy weights clanking together, to hearing Caesar Clown protest noisily with his hands shackled in front of him. He closed his eyes, envisioning the kitchen in great detail on the Sunny, watching his own hands plunge into a sink full of dirty dishes while he heard feminine laughter in the distance, along with a violin strumming.

Then he opened his eyes and remembered that there was none of this – there was social media, cellphones, airplanes in the sky, and Law complaining about his Netflix subscription. He focused on the memory of the man's voice. Not the Law on the Sunny that sat away from the group, saying nothing unless he had to; the one that said unnecessary things to him and looked at him fondly when he thought Sanji wouldn't notice. Even the times when he didn't care Sanji was looking at him.

His hand shook as he withdrew his wallet, and pulled out a picture, the one where they were out at the lake. The sounds of the Sunny faded away. He heard seagulls calling, but he also heard traffic nearby, and Corazon was flitting about with a cigarette, grimacing at the sky. But the sand felt nice in Sanji's fingers, and Law was looking for another rock to throw.

"I have," Sanji said tightly, focused on the picture, on the memory itself. "I found them. They're here. This is my life. Not that one."

Hiluluk frowned at him. "It'll never be the same. You think they don't like this new version of yourself? How hard it must be for them to explain themselves all over again what you are to them. How difficult and boring you are. How dangerous you could be to the ones you love. One day, you'll snap on them all. You haven't reached that point yet, but you will. Even if the Tea Party completely leaves your system."

Sanji stared at him for several moments, unable to imagine the amount of hatred one person could have for a complete stranger. For Zeff. But it was apparent that this man had no regards for making peace. He did not regret his actions. There were no apologies for taking away a chunk of his life just to make Zeff feel bad.

"It wasn't fair of you to do this. But you've crossed a line. You took revenge on the wrong person. I refuse to let this control me, and I refuse to let you have anymore satisfaction in it," Sanji said low. "I love that old man. A person like you will not have control over it, anymore. There's no use for you here. Why are you keeping him?" he then asked Doflamingo.

"It's Cora's decision," Doflamingo answered, mouth full. "I'm just paying the bills."

Sanji looked back at Hiluluk for a few moments. "Whatever things Zeff did in the past, it doesn't change my view of him any less. He's still the man that loved me like I was one of his own, and he's still the man I consider as close to a father as I'll ever have. You'll never change that. But I do think it's unfortunate that you were a father figure to Chopper. What a man you are. You raised him, then you abandoned him because you allowed your hatred take over of another man take o ver. What did that mean to Chopper? I wonder how he feels, being abandoned and forced away from you, never knowing what will happen to you?"

' _I'm so sorry_!' the tiny reindeer had exclaimed, holding onto his arm. They were in a parking lot of sorts, but Sanji couldn't tell which one. He had a grocery bag and a phone in hand, and Hiluluk himself was standing there with a frown. 'He's out of his mind! Please don't hate him! Don't repeat the cycle! Be the one to break it!'

Hiluluk looked away. There was intense regret there, a weary heaviness to his expression that made Sanji think of Zeff for a small moment.

"Were you responsible for the White Rabbit?" Sanji asked curiously. "Only you and Zeff would know about it."

Hiluluk cleared his throat. "After I realized what it could do for others, yes, I intended on making a profit off it. But I failed the initial formula, and released it to the others, just as I had with the Tea Party. All of these things were my responsibility. It's tailored specifically for Vinsmoke blood. Only you truly prospered on it."

Sanji realized he'd received all the answers he could from this man.

"Not that it's any of my business, but this is all you're going to get from him," Doflamingo said, echoing his thoughts. "He did it to piss off Zeff, not because of you personally."

"I understand that, now," Sanji said, lighting up a cigarette.

"And what happens now, hmm?" Doflamingo asked curiously, looking interested.

Sanji was silent for a couple of moments, just looking at Hiluluk's expectant face. The man had pretty much given up on life, on effort. He could see it in his weathered expression. Sanji said low, "There's no point in keeping him any longer now that I'm getting my memories back. I don't know why you guys want to keep trash around you when it no longer has any potential to be of any use."

Doflamingo took a long drink of his soda. Then he found his phone and fiddled with it for awhile. Sanji realized he was taking a selfie of both of them, giving him a horrified look.

"Hashtag best day ever! Hashtag boys become men! Hashtag proud daddy!"

" _What does that even mean_? No! Don't post stuff like that! This was supposed to be just us!"

"No filter! No borders! And I promise you, you're going to get at least a hundred more followers by the end of the night," Doflamingo told him, quickly editing the photo.

"I don't want any!" Sanji exclaimed, trying to jump up and grab the phone, but the man was ten feet tall and he was barely half his size. It was like trying to touch the top of a moving building.

"What are you going to do with this man, girly boy?" Doflamingo asked him, gesturing at Hiluluk. "What's the point of keeping trash in the house?"

Sanji frowned at Hiluluk. "There isn't. He can see me prove him wrong in the afterlife."

"There's no way of redeeming him?" Doflamingo asked.

"He's already claimed responsibility for both the White Rabbit and the Tea Party. He's a threat to Zeff." Sanji turned to walk away, flicking ashes to the side, making his way to the stairs. "And he called me 'fat'. There's no forgiveness towards him on my end."

"Nowadays, if you want to insult a man on his physical appearance, you have to suffer the consequences," Doflamingo told Hiluluk, bending slightly so he could peer into the cell, hand on a bar. "We don't just wake up and go, anymore. There's time, effort and cash on our looks, now."

"What are you going to do to me?" Hiluluk asked wearily, watching Sanji ascend the stairs without looking back.

"It's going to be an accident," Doflamingo told him with a grin, waving off his minions. "Make sure he gets home – I don't want Law or Strawhat bitching about it if he doesn't make it back, again."

"You don't need us here, boss?" one of the minions asked carefully.

"Nah. I'll be leaving in a bit," Doflamingo assured them, the pair walking up the stairs as Hiluluk looked after them with a slight rise of fear.

Nearly half an hour later, Sanji stared out over the city lights from the balcony space, leaning over the railing as he thought over the confrontation. He felt heavy hearted and downtrodden, but registered that pirate Sanji had no remorse for a person that deliberately destroyed another for senseless revenge. All he truly felt bad about was Chopper.

He heard the front door open and slam shut, his name bellowed with impatience. He grimaced, flicking the cigarette aside. All his emotions rose up and tumbled over each other as he heard Law muttering, striding towards the bedrooms, looking for him. Sanji walked through the blinds pulled over the open door of the balcony, and shut and locked it behind him.

Law emerged back into the living room, giving him such an intense scowl that Sanji felt his shoulders lift slightly, posture changing almost instantly. Then Sanji furrowed his brow in concern, sure Law had left the house with his hat, but that appeared to be missing, sword set aside as Law looked him over.

"Trickery, huh? Did you get all the answers you wanted? How could you even think that doing this was safe?" Law snapped at him, starting to grow progressively angry as he spoke, closing the distance between them.

"I needed to ask him for myself, and, yes, I received answers, but nothing satisfactory," Sanji said quietly. "Nothing about it will be satisfactory."

"Did he say anything weird and out of place for you?"

"Yes, but I was able to ground myself with the pictures Corazon gave me."

"And what if those didn't work? Then all this shit we've done for you would've been for naught!"

"It worked fine. They came in handy. I feel like I can do this, now."

"It was stupid of you to do this! It was stupid of you to go and ask that fucking asshole, Doffy, to do this for you! He put you into as much danger as you put yourself, going over there and talking to that useless piece of shit! What if he triggered something in you? How would we fix it? All these weeks of precious time and effort to restore you to your natural self, and it could've been undone in minutes just talking to him! Everyone put so much of themselves into helping you, and you just basically told them 'Fuck you!'

"Oh, and real cute, sending that fucking asshole - ! My hat! My fucking hat is gone! He's a fucking child! How can you even say that shit you did to have him chasing after me like that? Do you realize how _humiliating_ it was, having him approach me? What is your fucking problem? How could you tell him those fucking lies about us? Do you honestly think that we're having such problems that – but I get it was a fucking distraction technique. You are good, I'll give you that, but why the hell do I have to think ten steps ahead of you just to keep up with you, just to keep you _safe_? I shouldn't have to think defensively in my own home with you! And another thing, you manipulative little shit, how _dare_ you take a selfie with Doflamingo – what the fuck is up with these hashtags?" Law continued, digging out his phone and showing Sanji the Instagram post that Doflamingo had put up earlier.

Sanji just let him rage, taking in his angry expression with a remorseful one of his own, sorry that he'd worried the other man so much. He took a couple of steps in to him as Law continued on with the post. Once he realized Sanji was right up against him, he held his phone out so that Sanji couldn't grab it, but all Sanji did was give him his most apologetic expression, and it cut Law off in mid-rant. He stiffened up as Sanji gave the slightest of sniffles, and it caused all rational and angry thought to leave him, because Law really had no defense against that expression. Or any of Sanji's vulnerable expressions. Or against Sanji at all.

"You were right," Sanji told him, blue eyes watery. "I'm sorry. Enough yelling at me. I just need you to hold me, right now. You're the only one that can."

Then he leaned his head against Law's shoulder, the other man frantically wondering what this ploy was about. Before he knew it, his arms moved around him, and he felt Sanji's hands on his hips, and soon the man was sniffling against his neck, and Law knew Sanji couldn't fake the waterworks that were currently soaking his collar, and he stiffened because he still had things to say but he couldn't say them now.

"Just…uh, don't do it again," he said gruffly, awkwardly patting his head with one hand and using the other to hug him close, feeling Sanji's arms wrap around his waist, relying on him to hold his weight while he pressed up against him for comfort. When he realized that Sanji was releasing his helpless frustration in his arms, up against his neck, Law truly had nothing to say.

The next morning, Law opened his eyes and immediately focused on Sanji lying next to him. His eyes were swollen, forehead furrowed with upset, pink lips curled with a frown. He was still clinging to him, still dressed in the silk shirt and slacks he'd left in, and Law reached over and ran his fingers through the mess of blond hair with affectionate air. Trying not to move so much, he found his cellphone on the stand nearby, and immediately texted death threats to Doflamingo.

Doflamingo's response was the picture of caveman Spongebob in a crowded daycare, with the caption, "When little people threaten you."

Infuriated by the childish reply, Law threw his cellphone out of the bedroom. The noise startled Sanji awake, and he looked at the angry expression on Law's face for a few moments before wiping the sleep from his eyes. He snuggled up against the bigger man, feeling safe and content for the moment, feeling Law hug him tightly. Sanji had a metallic taste in his mouth, and his hands shook slightly, but these would go away when he took the prescribed dosage before his tea. For the moment, he felt a little more clear headed, and could remember things in his previous life.

"When you find Chopper and Kureha, don't treat them like prisoners," Sanji said.

"Good morning to you, too, brat."

"Oh, good morning. Did you hear me?"

"Yes. But they're long gone."

"They'll come back around. But they're not prisoners. Alright?"

"Even though they're accessories to the crime."

"Promise me you'll let me know if you find them," Sanji said, pushing him onto his back and lifting up to look at him.

"You have no grounds to be forceful with me, kid. Frankly, all your little plans have just irritated me so far, so – "

"I just want this cycle to stop. That's all. Chopper and I need to have a conversation. I have nothing against them for their involvement. I just want to make things right."

"So do I, but that's not the way I was planning, and neither is Zeff," Law said, wondering if he could touch him, and then doing it anyway, unbuttoning his shirt from the collar. "You need to talk to him about it, not me. He has plans for a reindeer throw rug to add to his collection."

"He's not that kind of person," Sanji said with a frown, gingerly wiping his eyes. He did feel better after last night – but while the ugly feelings lingered in his chest over the encounter with Hiluluk, he did feel a sense of relief in that he'd never have to deal with the hateful man again.

Law pushed the open edges of Sanji's shirt aside, touching his bared torso. Sanji realized what was happening, and stiffened slightly, expecting to feel discomfort in experiencing the touch of another man on him, but there weren't such feelings. Just the sensation of relief and a want for more. He watched the other man's expression, waiting for anything negative to cross Law's face because he was sure the man would find something wrong with him.

But Law just looked up at him with a pleased half smile, catching his expression with the quick removal of his hand. "You okay?"

"Yes. I just…thought you'd not find me appealing – like – I changed. A lot. I'm not that boy, anymore," Sanji muttered, feeling his face redden. "Three years is a long time."

"The only thing I find unappealing about you, Sanji," Law said, sitting up to slide his fingers through his hair, "is that controlling attitude of yours. Stop telling me what to do most of the time."

Sanji felt his lips pull back in a smile, closing his eyes as he felt Law's hungry mouth on his jaw, over his neck. His body gave a slight shiver as the sensation of Law's goatee tickled his skin, the feel of his mouth tasting him causing heat to gather in uncomfortable places.

"You're the controlling one!" he protested, reaching up to grip his arms, feeling Law push him back onto the bed. Sanji gave a small noise at the feel of his teeth on his collarbone, his fingers tightening on his biceps. "I'm pretty sure all my life you kept referring to me as your goddamn slave."

"Sex slave, now. It's been three years. You need to take responsibility for it," Law growled against his neck, feeling mindless now that the soft smell of Sanji's skin was so open to him, the feel of him underneath him causing a serious jumble of judgment and thought of everything else to leave him. He opened Sanji's shirt wide, touching as much of him as he could, moving his mouth over his chest, finding a nipple.

"Ah, yes, it's all my fault," Sanji said with a chuckle, reaching up to run his fingers through his hair, reacting to the feel of Law's tongue over him. He felt one hand on his torso, moving over his ribs and sides, the other lingering over his belted pants. "Slow down. It's not like we have much to do, today."

"I'm starved, damn it. Having you so close and not being able to touch you has driven me crazy," Law told him, sitting over him so he could unlatch Sanji's belt, undo his pants. He jerked them off with much difficulty, finally tossing them to the side when Sanji assisted. "And the last time we left off, we'd finally moved to more important parts."

Sanji covered himself with self conscious action, feeling his face redden as most of him was now visible to the other man. He tried to find something else to say, struggling to alleviate the seemingly new feelings of being exposed to someone else other than himself. He did see vague images of them fooling around with each other, remembering the feel of Law's hands and mouth on his form. But his breath came with unsteady action, and Law pushed his hands away from his crotch. Sanji barely had time to give a noise of protest before the man licked his soft dick, and the sensation went straight to his blood.

He covered his face with one hand, feeling overwhelmed with physical feeling as Law sucked him to full hardness. Sanji heard himself give a strange whimper, toes curling as the man's mouth enveloped him, his fingers following the movement of his head. He couldn't think coherently, all words leaving him; all he wanted at that moment was more feeling, more action. He covered his mouth as Law slowly pumped his dick with one hand, the other holding his hips down as they tensed to move.

Then he shifted away from Sanji's dick, pulling his hands away from his face, Sanji looking up at him with an embarrassed expression.

"Don't cover your face. Look at me. I want to see you," Law told him firmly, before lowering his head and pressing kisses over Sanji's chest, over his neck. Sanji reached up to hold his shoulders, to shift restlessly as Law's saliva cooled over his erection. "All of this is beautiful. Your skin, your chest, your stomach – all of it."

"Don't tell me - ! don't look so close," Sanji said, mortified at hearing such things come from him, feeling like a man exposed to another for the very first time. Feeling insecure and new and yet wanting more sensation, unsure of how to ask for it. "Go slow, goddamn it!"

"I can't – not this time. I need more of this from you. I've been waiting for you."

Sanji bit his lower lip, feeling a finger prod at his opening below. He gave him a shocked look, then moved to cover his face again, giving a slight gasp as the foreign sensation increased. He tried to relax, to stop tightening up, but the feeling of the invasion made him feel discomfort. He felt Law's mouth move over his neck, teeth scraping lightly, causing his skin to break out in goosebumps. His fingers pinched and played with one nipple. Sanji wasn't sure how to take the simultaneous feelings, breathing heavily as he kept his hand over his face, quite positive that his pleasured expression wasn't a good one.

Law removed his hand from his face once more, pulling it down to his side before once again taking Sanji into his mouth. Sanji knew he wasn't going to last long – he could feel it building up, his legs shaking as Law's finger moved carefully up into him, and he continued to suck his dick, humming with his own pleasure in the act. Sanji reached out to push him away, his breath hiking, stomach tightening, hips lifting.

He gave a sudden cry as he came, pressing up into Law's mouth for that brief moment. Once he realized Law swallowed it, removing his finger from his body, Sanji gave him a horrified look, sitting up to give a dismayed, "Spit it out! Don't swallow it!"

"Too late," Law told him, kissing his way back up his stomach, moist hands moving over Sanji's hips, over the trembling muscle of his midsection as Sanji caught his breath. He gave the other man an uncertain look as Law settled over him, looking as if he'd just enjoyed a meal to himself. Fully embarrassed by his reaction, by the act that had taken place, Sanji felt his face burn. He reached up between them to hold onto him, feeling him undo his own pants.

Then Law lunged over him, crushing him against the bed to rummage in the nightstand nearby. once he had the travel sized lotion in hand, he looked pretty happy. Sanji took that expression in wearily, understanding what was going to happen. He brushed his hair from his face, watching as Law hastily shed his pants and underwear. Sanji's eyes widened with horror, feeling his asshole tighten with fear.

"That is _not_ going to fit," he said with panic.

"Oh, it will. You're going to take it, you're going to like it, and we're going to do it every other day," Law told him with a rather devilish grin.

"Go slow!" Sanji repeated, feeling horrified as he watched Law apply lotion to his fingers. Then there was one moving back up into his body again, and Sanji adjusted his hips, giving a low sound as he prepared himself for the incoming invasion. He watched Law's face, the man very happy about things, and Sanji realized he was feeling flickers of pleasure in that area. He closed his eyes to focus on the sensation of Law's fingers rimming the muscle, of pushing in and out until he added another finger.

" _Slower_!"

"You feel so good, Sanji. Your body is amazing – it wants me in there. it's eating up my fingers."

"Don't tell me what my ass is doing!"

"I like the sound of your moans, and the way you look at me. I missed that look. I missed the feel of you, the taste of you. I'm going to add in another finger."

Then Sanji nearly jumped at the sensation from within, giving a startled cry. Once he felt Law moving his fingertips over a certain area, Sanji was pretty sure his eyes rolled back into his head, dick twitching as a flood of heat warmed his lower body. He felt himself moving towards the feeling, hips lifting as Law moved over him. Preparing for the newest invasion, Sanji breathed tightly, reaching up to hold onto his shoulders as Law removed his fingers.

Then didn't move for several moments.

Sanji caught his breath, looking at him with some worry. Thinking that perhaps Law had come across something unappealing. Or he was rethinking his decision. Or …

But the man had a very peculiar look to his face, and he was looking at Sanji with a combination of panic and dismay, and Sanji was so startled at the expression that he looked at him with a similar one.

" _What_?" he asked nervously, looking between them for the source of the problem.

Law looked at him, making eye contact with him for a couple of moments. Then he pushed away from him, Sanji looking at him with an aghast expression, certain that he did something wrong, or - !

"That was a mistake," Law said carefully, but Sanji noticed a very distinct tone in his words.

" _What_?"

"I have a very strange urge to go swimming, right now. It's too hot. It's much too hot in here. There's too many clothes. I think I need to go cool down. Do you think the pool's open? My skin is burning up. I'm pretty sure I'm on fire, right now."

Sanji stared at him with his mouth wide open, watching as the man pulled off the rest of his clothes, fanning himself. Then he realized Sanji was watching him, and stood proudly.

"Sanji. For real. Do you think I have a better body than Michael Phelps?" Law asked with concern.

For a few moments, Sanji had no idea what was happening. Then, when it hit him, he burst out laughing. He grew hysterical in moments, Law looking at him with insult as he looked from him to himself.

" _I told you not to swallow it_! Fool!" Sanji stumbled as he left the bed, still laughing as he grabbed a hold of Law before he could stalk out of the room, still insulted.

"Where's my swimming cap? It's fucking hot in here! How do sane humans live in these temperatures? I'm so hot, I'm burning up from the inside. Grab your swimsuit, Sanji, we're taking on that harbor. Like men."

"You can't _swim_ – you hate the water! Ha ha!"

"This is my dream, Sanji! To take on any body of water as it presents itself to me - ! it's hot in here, I'm taking off all my clothes!" Law hollered in a sing-song tone, turning to the door as he made to stride away from Sanji. Sanji held onto his wrist tight, trying to rein in his laughter.

Once he managed to wrest the man towards the bathroom instead, running a full tub of sudsy water so that they could bathe together, he managed to convince Law that they were going to swim in the clouds. Then he told him about the adventures he had in Skypiea while Law blew soap out of his hands and kept talking over Sanji regarding the matters of cloud seeding versus nature.

An hour later, as Sanji cooked them breakfast, forcing Law to eat a full plate to absorb the hallucinogens, Law's phone rang. He went to answer it as the other man ate, seeing that it was Corazon.

"Hi, Cora," Sanji greeted, returning to the dining room table as Law ate everything in sight. He had to move the butter out of the way, setting it out of his reach. "Law can't come to the phone right now. There was…an accident."

"OH MY GOD, is he dead? Did he lose a limb? Please tell me it's not bad!" Corazon cried from the other end. "I knew he'd poke his eye out with that damn sword of his! His beautiful eyes! Now he has to have a fake one – but we'll make sure it's one of those cool cybernetic ones, the ones that glow red – like Terminator! Oh, okay, well, at least it won't be that bad to lose an eye."

"No, uh…accidental ingestion of my, um, medicine," Sanji said carefully, trying not to lose it again. He refilled Law's plate with some hash from a frying pan while Corazon gave a sound of relief.

"As long as he's home, right?"

"It wasn't that big of a dose, he's done trying to swim the harbor. He's starting to talk coherently, now."

"That's terribly funny, Sanji. Why would he want to swim? He hates water. I remember Doffy had to toss him into the ocean a few times just to get him to swim. Of course, he nearly drowned, so maybe that's why he hates it – but never mind that. I called to say that, um…well…this is difficult to say to you, but the morning shift found Hiluluk, um, passed away. he didn't make it. Um…"

"That's unfortunate," Sanji said carefully, injecting slight empathy in his tone, dumping some eggs onto Law's plate once the man started scraping fork tines over it. "He was an older man. I didn't expect him to survive this long."

"Well…what can you do? I feel bad because I'm sure you had business with him later on, I'm sure. I'm very sorry we couldn't keep him alive."

"It just wasn't meant to be," Sanji assured him, lifting a cup of orange juice to Law's mouth. He was relieved to see that Law looked a lot more coherent than he did earlier. "He must've been under a lot of stress and anxiety being kept as he was, that – was it a heart attack?"

"Ah…yes. Yes it was."

Sanji had to smile because Corazon was obviously lying to him. He did wonder how Doflamingo set the stage, but he was going to play dumb for a little longer.

"That's too bad. Well. I'll tell Law to call you when he's better," Sanji said, starting to clean up now that Law was sitting at the table with a dumbfounded expression. "Maybe in a couple of hours."

"Okay, sure, Sanji, that would be great. You guys have a great day! Do good things, today!"

Once he hung up, Sanji leaned over Law's chair and looked at him with a wide grin as the man looked around himself with a puzzled expression.

"Did we learn something today?" Sanji asked him in a teasing tone.

"What's happening? And were you just on my phone?" Law asked slowly.

"I want to be embarrassed, but I really can't. Not in this situation. It's too hilarious," Sanji said, clearing off the table as Law continued to sit there with a lost look to his face.

"Please tell me I hit my head, or something."

"Nope. You're a bright man. You'll figure it out, soon."

Law sat there for a couple of moments, then gave a disgusted curse. " _Are you fucking kidding me_?"

Sanji laughed once more.

" _It's not funny_!"

"It's not!" Sanji agreed with him, straightening over the sink. "It's fucked up to think I have to take this shit to be weaned _off_ this shit in order to be a functionable human being. So even my body fluids are dangerously high on this shit – enough that my own goddamn cumspunk is potent enough to render a guy like you on an hour long trip. Yes, in some way, it's not funny. In another, it's funny as hell."

"Fucking hell."

Sanji left the sink to venture over to him, seeing his angry expression. He reined in his amusement, but the smile didn't leave his face. He leaned over him with a hug of his shoulders, pressing a kiss against his cheek.

Law pulled away from him with a stubborn expression. Sanji laughed again, collapsing to the floor next to him, Law growling at him. Wiping tears from his eyes, Sanji picked himself up to his knees, looking up at him with mirth. He grinned up at him, then reached for his pants. From there, he proceeded to give back what had been given to him, and afterward, Law forgave him for laughing at him.

An hour later, Sanji sat in his room and stared up at the ceiling. He ran the confrontation with Hiluluk in his mind, knowing that dwelling on the matter wasn't going to make things easier. But now that he was set to recover, he wasn't going to let this man's actions continue to control him. He was very determined to put everything back in its place. He accepted that he wasn't a pirate – that these last few years were only a filler in his life, because the years of memories that he'd made with those around him were the bigger story. He could recover that story.

He hoped to find Chopper – but he assumed that the pair were underground, hiding from Zeff and Law, that he'd never find them on his own. He wanted to make things right with the reindeer and the old woman, and he didn't want retaliation done to them in response to their participation in Hiluluk's crime. As far as he felt, Hiluluk had been taken care of, and the true villain was gone.

He was going to move on. He'd get to know his friends individually, again. Start from scratch. The more he interacted with them, the easier the memories would come, just like they had with Law. He heard the man rustling around his room, looking for something, and looked towards the doorway with affection. The man was going to go get his hat, and it amused Sanji that Law was so angry about it.

He rose up from the mattress, straightening his tie and adjusting the waistband of his pants. Maybe he'd get his own sense of fashion, back. Suits and ties were a little out of place in this world.

"I'm going to Zoro's," he said to Law, who'd tossed out his entire closet in search of something. Sanji tried not to react to the mess, but his jaw stiffened.

"What are you going to do there?" Law asked him curiously, wading through the pile of clothes he'd thrown to the floor.

"I want to visit."

"Okay, but no more stupid ideas. It makes me very suspicious that Hiluluk had some sort of 'heart attack' after your visit last night, Sanji."

Sanji frowned at him. "He was old. Being held captive in a hostile situation. Why wouldn't he?"

"For one, he was in good health. Corazon kept him nice and safe, and their private doctor made sure of it. For another, Doflamingo is known for his 'set-ups'. He was very vocal about the reasoning behind Hiluluk's imprisonment. He could be easily convinced into making a decision that benefits him."

"Are you saying I was the hand behind the doctor's death?" Sanji asked him carefully.

Law looked at him, detecting a tone in his voice. He recognized that challenging air in the other man – and it only gave him an almost painful thrill in his chest because Sanji had challenged him since they were kids. It had to be part of the reason why he couldn't live without it, now.

"Do I think you were the reason behind it? Yes. Having an actual physical hand at it? No."

"You think I did it. That I somehow convinced Doflamingo to do it."

"I think that you steered him into making the choice," Law clarified. "Which wasn't that hard, considering that Doflamingo likes to do what Doflamingo likes to do."

"And if I did? Would you think differently of me?"

"Are you admitting that you did?"

"This is only theoretical. I just want to know if you'd think of me differently at this point in time."

"Do I think you capable of being behind someone's death? Not so much. But if they had a hand in harming someone you love or care about – I think you wouldn't hesitate at this point in time, being who you are as a person right now," Law said, walking up to him, Sanji watching him approach and not moving. "I don't think you would if you were the person you were supposed to be – but this person, yes. Without a doubt."

"Do you think I'm dangerous?" Sanji asked him.

"I think there are parts of you that have the potential, but have yet come to the surface. But I think they'll go away the more you regain your memories," Law answered truthfully, reaching out to touch the stony set of Sanji's jaw. "In my opinion, that makes you even hotter, knowing I'm playing with fire."

Sanji tried not to react with amusement, but he had to bite the inside of his cheek to do so. He then looked away from the intense look in his eyes, and Law studied him for a couple of moments before lifting his chin so that Sanji had to look at him. He said nothing, but he kissed him firmly before turning away to rummage in the bookshelves nearby.

"I'll take you there, and they can bring you back."

"I remember how to get there, I can walk."

"I can't get over the fact that you disappeared in the goddamn parking lot, fifty feet from Zeff. I'm paranoid."

Sanji made to argue again, but he closed his mouth and let Law have his worry. "Okay. Um…I want to see Zeff, again. I want you to help me do it."

"Every time you see him, you try to kill him," Law reminded him patiently, looking into his nightstands.

"I know, but - ! What are you looking for?" Sanji then asked, growing irritated with the mess that was being made in front of him.

"My glasses. I can't find them anywhere."

Sanji frowned, trying to think of the last time he'd seen them.

"Well, whatever. I guess I don't need them. Come on, let's bring you to your friend's house. Does he know you're coming?"

"You're just going to leave this here?" Sanji asked, looking at the clothes on the floor.

"Yeah, I'll pick it up later."

"Pick it up now, hang them neatly as they were, and I promise you we won't get interrupted, tonight," Sanji said, looking at him sternly.

Law looked at him for several moments, then narrowed his eyes. "I don't negotiate with terrorists."

"It's not a negotiation. It's an order."

"I don't like being told what to do!"

"Then you must not like my ass as much as you say you do."

"I'll just have Bepo do it."

"Bepo isn't your slave!"

"Then why did I rescue him from the zoo?" Law muttered, picking up a couple of hangars, and then complaining about the time and effort it took to do so.

Sanji just shook his head and wondered why the man was such a big child.

Later on, as the early evening fell, and the lights of the city began to dance with activity, snow falling gently as the season began to wind down, Luffy watched as the high rise towers began to light up. Standing on the porch of the apartment Zoro lived, he listened to Zoro talk to Sanji about his day to day activities when they were kids. The swordsman was pretty patient with Sanji's questions, and while Luffy understood that Sanji was only trying to get his memories back, he felt impatient with the process.

He could deal with Sanji, now. The man didn't forget things the way he used to, and while Sanji often had no idea what they were talking about half the time, unable to remember what Pokemon was, or what a McRibb entailed of, or why Luffy never bothered with pants in the winter, he still seemed bossy and open to the idea of fun. Unlike zoro, who hung back when Luffy and Ussop had brilliant ideas, this Sanji tried to get into the fun of it, participating when he could.

He just wanted Sanji to be Sanji, again. This one was too seirous, sometimes, and while Luffy understood he was trying to catch up, it was frustrating having to stop and explain the situation to him. Luffy knew he had to be understanding, himself, but in reality, he was crushed by the whole situation. having his friend gone for so long and then returned in such a state – luffy knew he should be grateful, but he was just angry about it, and had no idea how to deal with it. All he could do was strive for patience and understanding, and he felt like he was failing that.

He looked back at Zoro as he pointed out pictures in the last year of their high school together, and Sanji just looked frustrated that he missed out. Sanji had missed out on a lot of things – when Ussop got his driver's license, when they took a roadtrip to the country, their first girlfriends, their group dates, passing various exams, and even though Sanji came back in time to see them graduate from high school, now it was time for college and grown up things, and Luffy felt angry because while they were moving ahead, Sanji was still trying to catch up.

He wondered if Law felt this same sort of frustration, but the last time he saw him, Law looked pretty happy. And if that man looked happy, then Luffy knew he should be feeling the same way.

But he didn't.

He clenched his fist and frowned out at the city lights. There was an ambulance speeding by, sirens screaming, and there was a car below that belted out loud music. Snow built on the railing around him, and he exhaled heavily, watching his breath leave him.

His phone vibrated in his pocket, and he took it out, expecting a text from Ussop or Nami, bugging him for an update. But it was an unfamiliar number, and it read, 'Maybe you should take Zeff's spot.'

He scrunched his forehead, tilting his head to the side. Take over Zeff's spot as Sanji's grandfather? How did that work? Or work in the bed and breakfast? He wasn't that good of a cook.

'As * enforcer, idiot.'

Luffy laughed, then looked paranoid, looking around himself. Who was texting him these things, watching him?

But he thought about the position. They pretty much did that, anyway. Any time any member of the syndicates stepped out of line with their petty fighting and actions, the Strawhats were there to beat them back into place. And with Sanji there – well, that was an idea of its own!

The more he thought about it, the more appealing it sounded. That was an adventure a day. There were seven heads, and countless minions. All of them with different plans, all of them with different ambitions, all of them crooks in their own way. Zeff had only kept them in line – not tried to eliminate them, because he knew something like that could never be eliminated.

'Maybe I will!' he texted back, wondering who it was that was so thoughtful.

"Ne, Zoro. Who's this number?" he asked, reading it off to the other man.

"I don't know. If they know your number, then it's one of your friends," Zoro said.

"But I always save everyone's number and give them a name," Luffy said with a pout, changing the number to a saved contact.

"How does that work?" Sanji asked Zoro, showing him his phone. When Zoro explained the difference between an iPhone and an Android, having difficulty with the different brands, Luffy sighed heavily and looked out over the city once more. But he felt cheered because this felt like a whole new adventure.

The number texted him again with a Thumbs Up emoji.

Meanwhile, Kid was beaming with pleasure over the hat he'd stolen off Law's head last night. He knew that the man was going to come by and get it – it was so worn and obviously tailored numerous times that there was no way Law would just let it go. While it really irritated him that Sanji had played him for a fool – and for what reason; that guy was serious drama, they should really break up, soon – it just gave Kid hope that he had a chance. After all, why pick competition to pick up the broken pieces?

He twirled the hat on one finger, looking around himself. All around him were guys enjoying a beer, listening to the latest death metal set of a local band, and there was a kid buying a gun from a couple of Kid's handlers nearby. Everyone was giving him crap about it, but the kid was determined to buy a piece in order to settle a debt with someone else. Killer was handling the transaction, so Kid wasn't worried about the consequences; if the brat wanted to make the big decision to kill somebody, then he expected to be caught.

He took a drink from his mug, scanning the crowded bar. Law should be showing up at any moment. Unless he was busy making up with that blond homo – it made Kid seethe, thinking how unfair it was that a guy like that could catch a guy like Law. What was so special about him, anyway? He looked like a skinny loser with floppy hair, and what was going on with those eyebrows?

There was nothing special about that guy that impressed Kid. Nothing at all. Twinks were a dime a dozen, nowadays. Guys like Kid were rare. If only Law could give him a chance, Kid would definitely prove that, together, they could rule the city; with Law's brains and cunning tactics, and Kid's open rebelliousness, they could be unstoppable. The older guys would have to back off and give them respect.

He twirled the hat around his finger once more, fitting his back against the cement wall. He had it planned out – there was only one way to stop the guy from teleporting away from him, and Kid was going to do it, this time. If Sanji wanted to play head games and toss the man away like a toy, then Kid would pick up the pieces. He could picture it all in his head.

Suddenly the hat was gone. Kid spit out his beer, realizing that he was holding onto an alcohol rehabilitation center pamphlet instead, and he threw it aside with a frustrated curse, scanning the crowd again. But there were too many bodies around him, and nobody was paying attention, and the music was too loud, and he roared with frustration because how could the man play with his heart like this?

When his phone vibrated, he looked down at it to see the message from an unknown number. 'Strawhats on the move.'

"What the fuck does that mean to me?" he asked aloud, not able to hear himself talk. So he repeated it via text and sent it.

'Means you have to clean up your act.'

"KILLER! Who's this fuck that's messing with me?" he bellowed over to the other man, throwing him his phone. At the other man's puzzled shrug, Kid growled with impatience. He gestured for him to throw it back, and once he did, Kid sent a group text to Bonney and Apoo, demanding an explanation.

: :

Law found Corazon sitting in the back porch area, watching the snow fall. "Where's Doffy?"

"He went shopping for a new snowboard."

"I'm glad you stayed home."

"After breaking my shin, I decided that snowboarding wasn't for me." Corazon dashed ashes away. "Where's Sanji?"

"You're obsessed with him."

"You need to bring him with you when you come over here! I'm glad we get along! It feels like I'm finally connecting with somebody that understands me!"

"I'm keeping you two apart for a reason. I can't handle this emotional wreckage that happens when you two collide."

Corazon just made a face, looking back out at the snow. Law scowled up at him, waiting for him to speak first.

"He was hanging from his cell. I know he didn't do it to himself," Corazon said to him, still watching the backyard fill with snow. "I just said he had a heart attack so Sanji wouldn't feel cheated."

"Sanji was there talking to him last night, with Doffy."

Corazon frowned. "No one said anything to me about it."

"They wouldn't if Doffy got to them, first."

Corazon scowled, puffing at his cigarette. For a few moments, he was silent. Then he said, "Well, we'll leave it at that, then. That man did a lot of horrible things. It's good that Sanji had his say with him, then. I suppose he came to his own conclusions out of it."

Yes."

"What now, Law? what will you do, now? Get a respectable job? Take care of him until he can take care of himself? It sounds like he's already working towards it."

"I'm going to help him get his GED, then he'll figure out what he'll want to do, after."

Corazon smiled, holding his cigarette from his mouth. He reached out and patted the top of his head, Law giving an irritated jerk of his head to escape the touch. "Then it's a good ending."

"It's just beginning, Cora. There's a lot more to do."

"It is, indeed!"

"Does it bother you that Doffy went behind your back about Hiluluk?"

"Did it bother you with Sanji?"

"Yes."

"No. Because Doffy will do what he wants to do, and he always felt guilty for the White Rabbit thing. he might put on a big show, but that loser likes feeling useful when other people need him. Sanji always knew how to get to him, much like how he gets to you. Both of you are very similar, you know."

"shut up."

"Deny it all you want, but deep inside, you take after Doffy. If you took after me, you'd never have a chance in this world," Corazon said with a smile, lighting another cigarette. When he tossed the first, it bounced back and left a burn ring on his trousers, causing him to growl, stamping his feet with frustration.

Law rolled his eyes at the thought of 'taking after Doffy'. Imagining himself as the ten foot monster was a scary thought, and he thought Corazon was just being passive aggressive, again.

Corazon just looked at him from the corner of his eye and smiled, resisting the urge to hug him. He was just so proud of the man for being who he was today, for putting another person first, that he just couldn't stand it. But he knew Law would run away from him, like an animal escaping affection. He looked over the falling snow and felt happy all over again, like he'd done something right, in the world.


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N2: FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, CHECK OUT SIBERIANWINDS' Tumblr for amazing fanart, and give it as much love as I have. I LOVE IT.**

 **Check out the soundtracks I made for my fics! Located under on 8tracks.**

 **Please leave your comments for the story where I can find them :D**

 **Naghi-tan: it gets better, I promise :D Corazon just gets better with age, haha**

 **Guest: after a rollercoaster of emotions, here's some more dips and highs – more highs than dips, though, I promise!**

 **Nattsubihanabi: No…*next chapter is the ending : D Doffy is a funny guy in this fic because I made him much too evil in the other one, haha And thanks for the compliments! It's nice to hear that :D**

 **Chapter Twenty-Four:**

 **Feed Your Head**

That night, over pizza, beer and thick sugar cookies Ussop had brought from the store, Luffy laid out his proposal. Nami was running her fingers through Sanji's recently cut hair, admiring the slight waves at his neck. Zoro and Ussop were making their way through a platter of chicken wings, Robin picking at a salad, Luffy sitting at the head of the table with his very own large pizza, wings and other condiments that he refused to share with the others.

"I received an interesting message, today," he said, mouth full. "I found it acceptable. I found it…useful. Zeff used to make sure everyone stayed in line, right? He made sure that everyone followed rules, that they were upfront with each other, that everyone helped each other profit, and helped the city profit, as well. Right?'

"Pretty much," Nami agreed, still playing with Sanji's hair as he listened with interest. "Zeff's role wasn't as an actual syndicate member – he just kept them in line. And they respected it! Crocodile, Krieg, Drake, Arlong, Hogsback – Doflamingo played outside those boundaries a little, but all of them followed rules. The other three just suck. They refuse to follow rules, and they're making their own, and they're making a mockery of the city while they're at it. They're going to destroy it if they're not careful."

"Not that the syndicates were any good in the first place," Zoro added. "They're all crooks. But they were crooks that followed rules."

"Odd. Like pirates."

"Almost, except we're on land," Luffy told Sanji. "So it was suggested that we take the role of Zeff."

"Whoa. That's a huge responsibility," Zoro said with a frown. "We're not law enforcement, or – "

"Neither was Zeff."

"He never wanted Sanji involved in this," Nami reminded him, looking at Sanji with concern.

"On the bad side of it," Luffy said firmly.

"On any side of it at all!"

"Even if Zeff wanted that for me then, it's different now," Sanji said, picking at his slice of pizza, unable to eat it. "I've my own mind about things."

"He hated that, but he knew he couldn't control it – as much as he tried," Zoro told him. "So he snuck around some things just to keep you safe for a long time. But that White Rabbit popped up, and suddenly it just went downhill from there."

"He kept it from you for a reason," Nami told Sanji. "Why undo all the effort he put into it?"

"But think of the adventures and fun we have doing it!" Luffy insisted. "Don't we have fun beating them up? Stopping them from committing outrageous crimes? And how fun is it to sneak into their houses at night to eat their snacks?"

"To _you_ that's fun!"

"I think it's a great idea," Robin said with a smile. "It will beat doing absolutely nothing after work. It's fun and exciting. And sometimes law enforcement can't step in the way that we're able."

"Who sent you this message?" Sanji asked Luffy curiously. "Did you ever find out?"

"No, but at this point, I don't care. What matters is that it's a great idea, and we should do it," Luffy said, taking his pizza.

"Have some wings," Zoro said to Sanji, passing him a couple. "Don't eat them until he's done, Luffy."

"Just let me lick one, that's all I want," Luffy said, looking at them hungrily.

"NO."

"I don't know, guys, even if it sounds fun, that's an immense amount of responsibility," Ussop said with a skeptical frown. "I mean, what if something happens, and we were supposed to deal with it, and we were overwhelmed? What if we couldn't?"

"That's where Law comes in," Luffy said, rubbing his hands together. "I already discussed this with the bear. His friends are bored with their lives, and they only found joy in exciting things, too! They'd help out if we needed it."

"They'd help out if Law was interested," Sanji said, picking at the skin of the chicken with a disinterested expression. He fed one to Luffy by hand, propping his chin atop of one palm as the boy ate it with relish. "And he hasn't been too interested in their activities, lately."

"But that's only cuz you're home!" Luffy said, mouth full. "If you're involved with this, he'll be involved."

"I'd rather that man make his own decisions on the matter. As for mine, I'm totally up for it," Sanji said. "I thought it'd be a terrible waste to live without adventure like I used to – I mean, this world is fine, but it's terribly boring if we're just living day to day on a job or going to school without a fight a day."

"I like your enthusiasm!"

"It's a terrible idea, because some of us has jobs, school, and we can't always dedicate ourselves to a certain situation if it comes up," Zoro said with a frown.

Sanji looked at him with a frown. "Don't you want to be a master swordsman? How can you do that when you're home all the time, avoiding adventure and fun?"

"I do like fighting," Zoro then said after a few moments' reflection. "Whatever. I'm in, too."

"I have a goal," Nami said, eyes sparkling. "I'm in!"

"You're not seriously planning on sleeping with one of them, are you?" Sanji asked her skeptically, feeding Luffy the other wing, Zoro frowning at him.

"No!" Nami exclaimed, but she was nodding at the same time, causing Sanji to look at her with disbelief. "But I want to be rich! I want money! And Law made his money stealing from them – I'm pretty sure I can do the same! As long as I invest wisely and follow my stock options to a 't', I can go through life comfortable, with a manicure a week without problems."

"I love having fun," Robin said, still smiling. "It'll be a great way to pass the time. Also, Nami, think of the newest batch of dates that could come of this."

"I know! I'm totally excited!"

"We're all in it but you, Ussop!" Luffy said, looking at the other boy.

Ussop heaved a huge sigh, reaching for his soda. "I mean, I don't think it's a great idea, but if you guys are into it, I guess it'll be interesting. I just don't want that huge responsibility on our shoulders if something big happens – "

"It won't! Stop being a pessimist! Besides, I'm sure Zeff will give us advice from time to time if we ask," Luffy assured him. "He's had that position for years! I'm sure he has great things to say."

Zoro set down a paper plate of steak fries, chicken strips and onion rings in front of Sanji, who picked at each item with a dubious stare. "Look, all I'm saying is this – if we have a backup plan while we run into this, I'm sure we'll be fine. We have allies in this. We have people we can consult if we need to. But if we're out there keeping these dudes in line, we're in that world until the end. There's no backing out, now. This is not something you do half-ass."

"Then we talk to the old man," Sanji said, dipping a fry in the ranch that Luffy held out and took a careful bite. He tried not to gag, setting it aside and washing it down hastily with some water. "I'll just cook when I get home. This is disgusting."

"It's heaven to me. We should go to Gin's place and eat there. You loved his food!" Luffy said cheerfully, taking the plate from him.

" _Gin_ cooks?"

"Technically, it's his uncle, but they have the best snack foods ever! And maybe you can talk to Gin, again."

"Law wouldn't like it," Zoro muttered.

"Gin and I get along…well?" Sanji asked him, curiously.

"You two sat together in one of our math classes. I wouldn't say 'get along', for the fact that – "

"He had the biggest hard-on for you," Nami interrupted, leaning into the conversation, Sanji's eyebrow rising high with a startled expression. "He's the world's worst henchman when it comes to you. Can't follow any of Krieg's orders to save his life."

"Oh. How embarrassing."

She reached out and patted his leg in response.

"So? Are we in agreement?" Luffy asked. "We take on Zeff's role as syndicate enforcer?"

"First off, he treated them all equally. All of them were very cooperative with him. With the reputation we've made with them ourselves, they're not going to want us in that spot," Zoro pointed out. "All of them didn't appreciate what sort of name we made for ourselves, and – "

"Zoro, once Luffy makes a name for himself by reining in the younger heads and forcing them back into line, I'm sure the older ones will appreciate it and take notice," Robin assured him, passing Sanji a plate of a salad with dressing on the side. Once Sanji took a bite, though, he pushed it away with a frustrated frown. Ussop passed him a couple of boxes that he took out of his bag, explaining to him what they were as Robin continued to speak to Zoro. "All it takes is a bit of a trust exercise. Besides, I think that they were very discomforted with not having someone keep them all in line – they appreciated the efforts in being forced to reveal everything to each other, and give back to the city so that the city officials would leave them alone."

"Yeah, I guess it would work," Zoro agreed with her, opening one of the boxes that Ussop had given Sanji, and tearing off a piece of the bar that was inserted inside. Sanji took it away from him before he could physically feed it to him, and popped it in his mouth, chewing with a puzzled look.

"Then we're in agreement?" Luffy asked. "We're going to do this?"

All of them agreed, to which he gave an excited cheer, rising in his chair with his fists in the air.

"Now all that we need to do is find out who texted you that information," Nami said, taking his phone and finding that message. "You saved the contact name as 'Megatron?'"

"Because I don't know anybody. How do I know my phone isn't a Decepticon, telling me what to do?"

"You are _so_ dumb. Why do I follow you?"

Robin gestured for the device, to which Nami gave it to her. Once Robin had the number on her phone, she began a search for the origin point, Nami handing Luffy his phone back.

"Got 'im," Robin said. "Want to go see who it is?"

"Let's go!"

"They're like tofu," Sanji said to Zoro, eating the rest of the bar. "It's much more manageable than this crap on the table."

"How long do you have to take that stuff, anyway?"

"Dosage gets lowered every three days. I should be completely off of it within the next two months."

"As long as it works, right?"

"I'm not complaining," Sanji said with a sigh, opening up the other box.

"You can find these in the market across the street from the ice cream place," Ussop told them. "Kaya needed them as she was going through chemo that one time."

"Thanks, Ussop."

"What's up with this post, anyway?" Nami asked Sanji, showing him the Instagram post that Doffy had put up. "Bonding with the in-laws?"

"Basically. It's so weird seeing him as this person when in reality he's – well, he's just different. He was just being silly."

"Doflamingo was never the type of man to take seriously."

"I'm starting to remember that he wasn't a threat to me. Which is really weird after – well, which is really weird considering his appearance and what he does."

Meanwhile, Corazon and Doflamingo were walking through the snow towards the mansion, their hands full of Chinese take-out bags. Their minions trailed along after them, carrying bags of junk food, cubes of soda, and one of them was texting rapidly on one of Doflamingo's phone, no doubt keeping up with his social media in order to stay relevant.

"You feel better?" Corazon asked his brother skeptically. "You big baby."

"What are you talking about?"

"Did killing Hiluluk make you feel better?"

"I didn't kill him. He killed himself."

"You can't always hide your strings, Doffy. And there were definite attempts of a struggle. Disgusting."

"He must've changed his mind in mid-hang. I don't know. When we left, he was fine."

"You don't have to lie. What's done is done."

Doflamingo looked at his brother for any sides of a trap, and saw nothing. Corazon looked unbothered by his admission. Both of them were dressed for the snow, their long jackets hanging from their shoulders, snow caps hiding their hair. Corazon's cigarette was threatening to start a fire as he held a bag too close to his chin.

"Oh. Well, then. In a way, yeah, I do feel better. I feel better that we're not keeping that trash there, anymore. What a waste."

"I wanted Sanji to have his say in the situation. And he did, apparently."

"You guys need to stop treating him like he's a baby," Doflamingo then told Corazon with a frown. They paused at the stairs as the minions opened the doors, kicking snow off their shoes on the doormat. "Ever since you met the kid, you've been treating him like he was your second kid. He's not your kid. He's not Law's property. If he wants to make a decision outside of your approval, you both need to stop babying him about it. How's a girl supposed to grow into a strong, independent woman when she's repressed?"

" _He's a male_ ," Corazon stressed with impatience. They kicked snow off their shoes and made their way towards the kitchen.

"I have trouble telling the difference, sometimes," Doffy confessed, setting the bags down on the counter.

"You're an idiot. Look. You do your way, I do mine. But one thing's for certain – this is going to be a long time thing. My boy won't give him up that easily, so it's safe to say he's ours, as well. But I don't appreciate you going behind my back when it comes to making decisions like that! We need to talk about things like that so we can stay on the same page when it comes to the kids!"

"There's no need. He wanted rid of him. I respect that."

"I don't! I would've never done what you did because Sanji's upset! And when Zeff finds out the truth – he won't even talk to me, anymore! What if he had plans for him? It took me a long time to stand on similar ground with that man, and you ruined it because you wanted to be the 'cool' adult here! Grow up!"

"I felt, in my heart, in my mind, in the deepest, darkest pages of my secret diary and my Whisper account, that girly boy made the right decision. There's no use for that quack, anymore! Stop bitching about it."

"I feel that something else could have come of it. That doctor should have remained alive so that once Kureha and Chopper were found, he could watch them die, first. I thought we agreed on this!"

"Well, I forgot."

"Next time, don't forget! This is important! And if Sanji comes to you for help, do NOT jump right away, because he knows he can get away with it with you! You try too hard to be the 'cool' dad, and you just end up being the sucker, getting used for whatever reason…You're such a Phil Dunphy."

"All right, _all right_ , mom-Claire, jeez."

"I am _not_ Claire. I am not that anal."

"You are totally Claire, because you're a control freak that tries to run my life."

"I do not try to run your life, Doffy!"

"Don't raise your voice to me, I will Bautista Bomb you again."

"I will return your phone to its factory settings!"

Doflamingo slammed a fist on the counter with an angry growl while Corazon prepared to defend, the minions around them shifting nervously. "You're such a monster when you're hungry! Eat something!"

"Stop calling me 'Claire', then!"

"Honestly, you are a total Claire, because you try really hard to be this perfect mom person to that little shithead of yours, and you fail all the time, and you get on my ass about it, and I have nothing to do with Law at all, and then it turns into this huge shitpool of –"

"You're just mad because you wanted kids and none of them like you!"

Doflamingo pulled out his phone and dialed a number, impatiently tapping the counter with his fingers. Then he gave a growl, turning on the speakerphone option while Corazon licked his fingers, arranging his boxes into the order he liked eating from. Once the monotone informed Doflamingo to leave a message, he hung up with a growl and texted impatiently.

"What are you doing?" Corazon asked him sullenly. "Leave him alone."

"Frankly, Cora, I had only one thing to ask him," Doflamingo said with a huff, setting his phone down. Moments later it rung, and he placed it on speakerphone. "LAW! you bastard, you stop ignoring my calls! One of these days, it might be important! I might be asking you for medical advice because Cora might be successful after he loses during Mario Kart."

"Cora, tell your brother to stop calling me."

"I'm too tired to be in the middle of this," Cora mumbled, stuffing food into his mouth.

"But my question for you, right now, at this very moment – who the hell is this number?" Doflamingo read it off, then said, "And if it's you threatening me once more, I will not tolerate it, tonight. I've got a lot of things on my mind, right now."

"I'd threaten you to your face, like an adult. Or at least text with a signature attached. I've no reason to hide it from you. Don't call me again. I don't know."

"Why are you asking?" Corazon asked Doflamingo curiously. "It has to be one of those younger idiots trolling you for jokes."

"They should know better than to troll the Donquixote family," Doflamingo said tightly, clenching his fists. "I will shoot a fool for thinking he can get away with this. With thinking he can troll me! Grab the guns! We're going out!"

At the dial tone coming from his phone, Doflamingo hung up with a quick slide of his finger. "Eat fast, Cora. It's time to rumble."

"I'm not getting indigestion, tonight! I will not eat while you wander around the city with your damn – _goddammit_ ," Corazon then muttered, grabbing one of the boxes and following after his brother with an indignant expression.

When Sanji arrived home that night, Zoro yawning noisily, Law had the dining room table covered with various projects. Sanji immediately frowned, and Zoro left before anything could be said because that wasn't his problem to deal with.

"What's this?" Sanji asked, looking over the various medical textbooks, local gossip rags and at least four different cellphones that actively vibrated.

At the sight of him with shorter hair, Law pushed away his laptop and notebook and indicated for him to sit down next to him. Sanji did so with uncertainty, looking at one of the cellphones that vibrated noisily nearby.

"Whose are these?" he asked, removing his jacket and scarf, setting those aside before sitting on the chair next to him. "These aren't yours, are they?"

"Someone has been texting threats to the syndicate members throughout the day," Law said, reaching up and running his fingers through Sanji's hair, pulling him in for a kiss. Sanji felt himself blushing as he returned the gesture. "I heard of it, so I had to investigate for myself whether or not it was something that might affect us."

"So whose phones - ?"

"This is Bonney's, this is Apoo's, this is Krieg's, this one here," Law reached out and held up a flip phone with a snicker, "is Drake's. This one is Hogback's. It took me awhile to get in and turn off their GPS, but I did that at a secure location. Last I heard, they were fighting each other over the deception in that area. All the messages they received were the exactly the same, and I really like the way your hair curls right here. When it's wet, it probably gets even curlier, doesn't it?"

"Focus," Sanji told him, unable to stop himself from grinning.

"Anyway, whoever it is told them that the Strawhats were on the move. Know anything about that?" Law asked him, leaning in and smelling the back of his neck, tickling his nose over the shortened strands at the back of his head. He reached up to run his fingers through the longer strands around his ears and face, and pressed gentle kisses below his ears, along the carefully shorn hairline behind that. Sanji shivered slightly, unable to think for a few moments.

Sanji repeated to him what Luffy had been told, reaching up to clasp one bicep, shifting uneasily in his chair as his body started to betray his control again. He decided not to talk about their plans just yet, and what they'd found out about the messages – they'd found the person, and while it had been a pleasant surprise, Sanji didn't want to tell Law about it just yet. It looked as if Law was doing his own investigating, anyway.

"I have plans on going out and attending the emergency meeting that was just called in regards to these things," Law said, hooking his fingers into Sanji's belt loops and pulling him towards him, speaking against his lips as he started kissing him once more. "But not anymore."

"Are you some sort of little kid? You are easily distracted, aren't you?" Sanji asked with some amusement, reaching between them to push him back a little. "I have some things to say, too."

"They're not as important, right now. Right now, you promised no more interruptions."

"I did, didn't I? I only wanted you to clean up your mess, though. I wasn't that serious about it," Sanji complained, pulling his head back. Sure enough, Law frowned at him, and Sanji couldn't help but snicker, reaching between them to push the corners of his mouth back up. "Plus, after being traumatized by what you did, I don't think I can do anything like that, anymore. You might actually wind up swimming in the harbor towards your goals."

"You are a shitty piece of pie, aren't you?"

Sanji had to laugh at the insulted expression on Law's face as he 'hmfed' and looked back at his paperwork. He reached over to grab his chin, chuckling when Law turned away from him. "You're so hot and cold."

"Shut up. I hate you."

When Law refused to give him anymore attention, Sanji poked his cheek with one hand, and slathered saliva onto his thumb on his other hand before sticking it into his ear. Law swatted at him with a roar of sound, clapping a hand over his ear and rising from his chair. Sanji laughed again, then stopped when the other man loomed over him.

" _Stop_ ," he warned him. "I'm done. Let's be serious and talk about things."

"Oh, _now_ you want to talk and be 'serious' after all that? I have your spit dripping from my ear, and you want to be serious."

"Yes. I have important things to tell you. I'm sorry." Then Sanji gestured at him to lean down, signaling for a kiss. For a moment, Law hesitated, looking at him suspiciously, but when Sanji made an insistent gesture, he did lean over to do so. Sanji clamped his hands over his cheeks to hold him in place, reaching up to gently press his lips against his - then blew hard into his mouth, roaring with laughter when Law jerked back away from him.

"You're such a fucking brat! You're so _gay_! Knock it off!"

"C'mere, homo, I'm serious, I have something I really need to tell you. It involves this stuff, here."

" _You're_ the homo, you shit kid!"

Sanji laughed again, then stopped once he realized Law was removing his shoes and taking off his sweater. He rose up from the chair and put it between them. "Stop. Be serious. I'm being serious, now."

"It's on, now. You want to fight off my advances like a little kid, I'm going to treat you like one."

"STOP. I mean it!" Sanji protested, holding the chair in place then looking at the throw pillow that Law replaced it with. He threw it aside, loosening his collar and tie. "Fine. Fuck it. Bring it on, old man."

Five minutes later, he was screaming and clawing for a weapon near the open hall closet as Law sat on him, giving him a wedgie.

"Tell me you're sorry," Law said, pulling the material hard enough to make Sanji's voice change an octave. "And say it nicely."

"Fuck you, dickhead! OW!"

"I can do this all night until I feel I've received a nicer apology."

"You're such a fucking asshole! Get off!"

"Oh, I'll get off, all right…just as soon as you tell me you're sorry!"

"I hate you - ! OW! Act your age!"

"I'm lowering myself to your level so we can understand each other better. When you get to my age, I expect you to be a little more mature than this. Learn from my example. Don't do what I'm doing, do something better. I'm teaching you all the lessons in life that you shouldn't do. This is one of them."

"You're a fucking - ! _I'M SORRY_!"

Law released his underwear, then leaned down and kissed the top of his head. "I accept your apology. Thank you for being so understanding."

"Why do I even like you?" Sanji complained, reaching back to fix his underwear, struggling to do so when Law was still sitting on his back.

Law reached down, jerking his pants off, adjusting his underwear for him. Then kissed one reddened cheek. Sanji picked himself up from the floor, using a knee to push him aside as he pulled and adjusted his pants and underwear with an indignant screech. Law adjusted to sit, then pulled him down onto his lap, chuckling as he kissed him. Sanji refused to kiss him back, and Law snickered, reaching for the tie that dangled over him. He forced him back down, kissing him even when Sanji pulled his lips in between his teeth. So Law bit his chin, then his cheek, his other hand snaking around Sanji's waist to push him up against his hard-on.

"I swear, you're such a psychopath," Sanji said, feeling it. "You get off on beating me up then fooling around like it's no big deal."

"Take responsibility for it, sex slave. You lost, so I get to take the spoils of battle as a reward, for putting up with your shit."

"It should be the other way around! Don't choke me with that – it's not a leash, let go."

"We can do it right here, but if we do, someone will walk in on us. Do you want them seeing you in such a compromising position? I don't care if they see me at all."

"You're one of those exhibitionists, aren't you?"

But Sanji followed along behind him, trying to untie the knot as Law turned around and looked at him with a victorious expression. Sanji tried to snap at him, but the man pushed him onto the bed and crawled atop of him, grinding up against him. After wrestling earlier, Sanji felt too warm and he had rug burn on parts of him, but he felt himself warming up in other places almost too quickly. He reached up to kiss him, satisfied when Law kissed him back. He liked the way Law kissed him gently, taking his time to be nice about it, considering how rough they were being with each other minutes earlier.

"You're such a Sourpatch kid," he complained lightly, licking Law's lips before planting kisses to the corners of his mouth. "Sour at first, then sweet as fuck the next."

"You make me this way. You always have. I don't know whether to beat you up or fuck you senseless, sometimes."

"This time, you have that choice."

Law's hands were tender on Sanji's skin, touching and caressing all the right spots that made Sanji melt. Almost as if he knew exactly where to touch – then Sanji had to remind himself that he did, that this wasn't new. It made him feel bad that he didn't remember where and how Law liked to be touched, his own hands moving with uncertain action, touching safe places.

It almost made him sad that he'd have to 'relearn' this aspect of him all over again, and he drew his mouth back with a short exhale, trying not to think of it that way. Together, they helped each other out of their clothes, Sanji touching him as much as he could, drawing his fingers over his back and sides. He pressed his mouth against his neck and chest, thumb moving up to his nipple – feeling it harden.

Law wasn't going to take his time - he felt like he was in a race, and while he wanted to draw out this moment for as long as possible, wanting to explore and relearn all of Sanji's hotspots, to let him do the same, he was not going to risk anything that could stop this train.

He reached out and found the lube in the closest nightstand drawer, growing more and more excited as Sanji reached down between them to grasp his hard dick and stroke him slowly. The man looked simply delectable lying there beneath him the way he was – all flushed faced with heavy eyelids, with a swollen mouth from all their kissing. When he looked up at Law, still stroking him, his other hand around his shoulders to grip his hair, Law's heart did a flip-flop because _that face_ of his could always make him think or do things he couldn't quite see himself doing.

Dumping some of the liquid onto his hand, he smeared it over his fingers, reaching between them. Pulling out Sanji's leg to have access to him, he leaned over the other man and kissed him deeply, pushing a finger up into his body. Sanji made a small noise at the back of his throat, then sucked on his tongue, hugging him close with one arm. He didn't fight it as much as he did this morning, pushing back onto Law's hand with encouragement; his grip even tightened on his dick as he continued to stroke him.

Law pulled and pushed his finger in and out of him with gentle action, pulling his mouth from his and leaning down to kiss his throat, to make his way up to his ear. He sucked and gently bit his earlobe, Sanji releasing his dick to hold onto him with a small moan, lifting his hips to move in time with his fingers.

When Law added another, moving slower to allow him to adjust to the widening sensation, Sanji pushed up to bite lightly at his shoulder, his hands scraping down his back, running his fingers up and down the length of his spine. Law met his lips again, using some of the lube on himself. He tilted the bottle over his fingers, making sure that Sanji was well prepared to take him in. Practically shaking with excitement, he set the bottle aside as the blond started to ride his fingers, head tilted back with a concentrated expression, breathing heavy.

"Are you okay?" Law asked him, nearly breathless.

"Mmm hm. I still feel…from this morning…"

"You are so sexy right now. Your face. Your body wants it."

"Don't tell me stuff like that! hurry…I need… it feels good but I need more…"

Law reached underneath his hips, lifting him up from the bed just slightly, Sanji helping him – his fingers in Law's hair as he watched Law hold his dick steady, hips lowering to start pushing in.

The moment Sanji felt the lubed, hot head of his cock at his opening though, the doorbell rang. Both of them stiffened, and their breath caught. Moments later it rang again, followed by the sound of pounding.

"They'll go away, ignore it, _push it in_ ," Sanji whimpered, pushing his ass up against him with an insistent movement. "We're so close - !"

"I have those fucking phones, though. FUCK."

At the amount of death threats and promises of maiming without the use of his abilities, Sanji fell back against the bed with a harsh exhale as Law found his clothes. Sweaty faced and swimming with built up pressure, Sanji wiped his eyes and tried not to cry. But common sense returned to him, and he found his clothes as well, Law forgoing his shirt as he stormed up to the front of the place. By the time Sanji was presentable, Law had reached the door, unlocking it with a venomous expression. Hurrying out with much discomfort, Sanji peeked around the corner of the hall and then heard Law give a frustrated curse as Shachi stormed in with a suitcase and a backpack, dressed in his pajamas.

He was wearing a set of glasses, his recently colored red hair scattered with static electricity, and he looked pretty upset. It was exasperating how attractive the man was – not Sanji's taste, but definitely noticeable to any human being within their proximity. Penguin himself had joked how he brought people back to life just with his face alone.

"I don't know where to go!" Shachi exclaimed with a huff. "Au – Penguin's not even home, I'm not sleeping wherever Bepo is! I have no other friends! I had to get out of there! She was suffocating me, senpai!"

" _I will marry you_ _off myself_ \- !"

"She was arranging marriage to some girl I've never even met, from some village they're from across the pacific!" Shachi complained, Sanji biting his finger as Shachi stormed into the living room and tossed his things onto the couch. "I don't want to get married! I'm not even finished with school! I haven't dated in _months_ – why in the fuck would I agree to get married to someone I've never even met? This is _outrageous_! Let me move in with you guys, instead."

"I was in the middle of something very important - !"

"I had no where else to go! I just paid all my bills, I don't have any extra cash on me, right now. Is this a goddamn third world – this is _America_! There's no such thing as arranged marriage, now! I shouldn't have to be forced – I'm twenty four years old! Why am I being forced to marry when I'm not even ready! I've had it!"

"That sounds terrible," Sanji said, finishing buttoning up his shirt.

"I know, right?" Shachi then paused in mid-rant, looking at him, then at Law. Then he reddened. "Oh. _My_. God. _Really_? You're like rabbits, senpai! Homo rabbits! STOP!"

" _You stop interrupting_!"

Shachi grabbed his hat and pulled it nearly over his face with mortification, then removed it with a pleading expression. "Ah! Look, just let me stay here – I got my Beats, I'll just listen to music, just shut your damn door - !"

"It's fine if you're staying here," Sanji interrupted, trying not to laugh – either from hysterics or immense dissatisfaction. "If you have no where else to go. We can figure things out in the morning."

"Look, I'm sorry, I don't mean to interrupt – I can go wait in my car, just text me when you're done – "

"No, no, that's just - ! Just stay. We had something to do anyway, right? Law?" Sanji said, gesturing at the dinner table while Shachi looked mortified.

Law just slammed the front door shut, and stormed back into his room and slammed that door shut as well.

"It's really no big deal. My car's just right outside – "

"It's _fine_ ," Sanji insisted weakly, just as mortified as Shachi was. "It's fine. You know how it is. Look, go ahead and get settled. You can sleep in my room, if you'd like. I'll go make some tea – did you eat, yet?"

"No, it was kinda – I just grabbed my stuff and left the house, man. I'm sorry. My parents are real assholes, they have my entire life planned out for me like my opinion doesn't matter, and they just really crossed the line, this time. They wanted me to meet this girl at the airport, and there was no way I can do it," Shachi said with a pitiful expression. "Like, I'm just not into that whole thing – it feels like I'm living in a goddamn cage, doing things only they approve of, and all I could think of was just running away from it. I have to finish school, though. I can't run away from that. it's not like I can leave town for very long at this point, I just started this semester. I just needed to get away for these few days."

Sanji took pity on him immediately. After all, if it wasn't for this man changing his major, he would've still been trapped in the asylum, still thinking he had to escape to find the rest of his crew. "Take a few days to sort it out, then. Maybe they'll listen to reason after awhile."

"I seriously doubt it. If they haven't let up now, they never will. I'm tired of it. I relied on them while I finished getting my master's, but this is ridiculous. What's with all the phones?"

"Ah, it's a new thing. Someone has popped up from the shadows and has been threatening all the syndicate members. Law stole some of them just to check it out, I suppose. I don't really know. I'll get you something to eat. Would you like traditional or American?"

"Either or's, fine. Thank you, Sanji."

"I'll never forgive you!" they heard Law shout from the bedroom.

Sanji snickered while Shachi looked in that direction with a frown.

"When's he ever going to grow up? Seriously. And I'm really sorry, I did try to get ahold of Aus – Penguin, but he must be back on shift if he isn't answering, and I don't want to just barge in over there, because I don't know when he'd be back."

"It's fine! There's always another time to…"

"…Uh…yeah. Sorry." Shachi looked sheepish for a few moments, then sat at the dinner table to look over the things Law had laid out. As Sanji went to wash his hands and find an apron, he heard the other man playing around with some of the phones. "Ah. So that's who's threatening them. What's up with that?"

It was amazing to Sanji that Shachi could find out information faster than Law could, just from a few minutes of playing with what he had before him. He looked back at him to see that he was on Law's laptop, Krieg's phone in hand. "It's peculiar, isn't it? I guess he's just tired of the syndicates making fools of themselves, and wants them in line."

"Well, some people just have enough of the bullshit. What is Luffy going to do about it?"

"Um…well…to be honest, Law and I haven't talked about it, yet. In fact, don't say anything about our involvement until I can talk to him myself."

"I drop into the middle of everything, don't I? Ah, I'm so sorry!"

"It's fine, it's fine!" Sanji waved a hand at him, but he was scowling as he faced the fridge, looking for various ingredients to throw together. As he was pulling out a package of meat from the shelf, he heard Law emerge from the room, having taken a cold shower and redressed in another pair of jeans, another sweater. He pulled Shachi into a headlock, torturing the other man for a few minutes while Sanji rolled his eyes and started cooking.

When he served them, he himself went into the bathroom and cleaned up, feeling physically frustrated. He came out to seeing Shachi and Law talking about the newest development, both of them dressed to go out and 'play'. Sanji debated on going with them, not wanting to get mixed up in Law's business, but at the same time, knowing that it would affect him as well.

After they gathered up the cellphones, and Law had his sword in hand, they were then leaving the condo and heading towards the parking lot. Bepo was there in the truck, heater running while he waited patiently for them.

"Shachi!"

"Bear dude!"

"What are we doing?" Sanji asked, bewildered.

"Returning their phones," Law told him, greeting Bepo.

"Hi, Sanji! Nice haircut," the bear said to him, and Sanji thanked him, feeling a little self conscious at the attention. "Now, senpai, I need you to focus on this. I see the way you're looking at him. Normally, that sort of thing doesn't bother me, but since we're crashing this party, I need you to be altogether. You should have left Sanji at home."

" _Ah_ ," Shachi said with a guilty expression.

"I am not an object," Sanji said as Law made a tutting sound, pulling out one of the phones as it vibrated. When he answered it as a pizza parlor nearby, Sanji switched seats to the back with Shachi because Law kept touching him, and he was tempted to respond.

"I _am_ focused," Law told Bepo after hanging up. "That was Crocodile, by the way, wanting to ask Arlong about this message he received earlier. Well, I'm pretty sure that was it – he just started threatening me. I suppose I might be too recognizable."

"You do have a distinguishable voice, senpai," Bepo told him, driving safely away from the complex. "It's too bad you talk a lot."

Sanji snorted.

"I might have to change it again," Law said thoughtfully.

"How will this go?" Sanji asked. "Just walk into the meeting and start throwing phones around?"

"Like Oprah giving out gifts."

Sanji had no memory of who that was. "Did you ever find your glasses?"

"No. I'll just buy new ones. This should be interesting. I'm not planning on getting too involved, I just want to see what's happening to get them all so nervous."

"If you don't mind, if it doesn't involve us or Luffy and the others, can we just bow out of it and go to Zeff's?" Sanji asked. "I really need to see him."

"We can do that. Maybe you can wait in the truck with Bepo, then."

"Once again, I am not an object."

Once Bepo dropped them off at the building downtown, Law teleported them to a spot two floors above them, then led the way down a private stairway. Shachi went in another direction, intending on meeting them at the conference room as back-up. Along that stairway, they passed by a couple of garbage bags that looked as if they were abandoned by cleaning personnel, Law kicking one aside before pausing in place to actually investigate. Once he did, he lifted his eyebrows, withdrawing handfuls of cash.

"Someone was busy," he said, pushing it back in.

"You'll just leave it there?"

"I trust my own sticky hands, not anyone else's. Weird, though."

"Nami would go crazy seeing that," Sanji said wistfully. Law looked at him, then pushed him against the wall to kiss him, hands in his hair, and Sanji just went with it because it thrilled him that this physical contact could burn so intensely between them. He pulled his head back for air, Law biting lightly at his neck before pushing away from him to straighten his clothing. He then pulled his hat atop of Sanji's head for him to keep safe, and walked on like he hadn't done anything. Sanji composed himself, then pulled his jacket closed, embarrassed by his reaction. He did look forward to going home with the other man to finish what they started. Shachi would just have to turn his music up loud and sleep with a pillow over his head.

After making short work of a couple of security guards, and then a bunch of mixed minions that were stationed to watch out for him, both of them became aware of the loud music that poured out from the main conference area.

Law reached back and grabbed Sanji's jacket, Sanji slapping his hand away with impatience as he saw the older man tense, losing that confident stroll with the unexpected noise. But as they walked through a set of doors, it became apparent that this wasn't a meeting to be taken seriously. Apoo was behind the music, running through a recent Fergie hit, and Bonney was atop of the table, twerking and dancing her way through the set, much to the horrified expressions of the men sitting around them. Kid was drinking from a bigger bottle, Arlong looked pissed, Kreig was scandalized, Crocodile was moments from exploding with rage, Doflamingo had his head in his hands, Drake was giving himself space to change, and Hogback was staring with his mouth wide open.

The woman's low cut and high cut clothing choices highlighted too much of her assets, and Law pulled his hat down over Sanji's face just in case.

"What the hell is this?" Law asked, startling the minions closest to him as Krieg and Arlong whipped around to look at them with a start, Sanji pulling his hat off his face and straightening it with some self-conscious action. "You old bastards can't tell these kids to shut up and sit down? How the mighty have fallen."

At the roars of outrage and shouts of death, the demands for the release of their phones, Sanji leaned against the wall and found it amusing that everyone switched from looking horrified and helplessly embarrassed to furious and enraged in moments. Bonney jumped from the table and tried to touch him, but Law had already teleported himself safely away from her touch, and like a singular wave, all their attention went to him and away from Sanji standing in the corner, watching all with amusement.

"Are you the one behind this nonsense?" Hogback demanded, slamming a fist upon the table. "Threatening us? I don't understand why you're harassing us when you should be satisfied that the item in question was returned to you!"

"It's not me," Law said, looking down at him. "I'm curious as well."

"And where's the Strawhats? Where are they to answer for themselves?"

"Never mind them, I just want to know who this is!" Crocodile demanded. "Who has the gall to interrupt my day to harass me over these pointless threats? I don't give a shit about the Strawhats and what they are, so I figure they were the reason behind this."

Resuming human form, Drake said, "It's irritating to think that we can't have a moment's peace because of these fools here."

"It's not our fault!" Apoo protested. "It's not our fault you guys can't keep up with the times!"

"It's not the point of keeping up with the modern times, it's the fact that there is no order, here," Drake insisted. "We're running about with our heads cut off, challenging each other in such sissified ways."

"You called my threat a 'sissified' thing?" Arlong asked him carefully.

"I didn't mention you!"

Law tossed everyone their phones. All of them were on it in instants, checking messages and looking for damage and all of them were suspicious as to what he could have done with it. "I left a few seflies on them, I hope you don't mind."

At the outrage caused by this, he tried not to laugh.

 _He's the worst one out of all of them_ , Sanji thought with amusement, folding his arms behind his back as Doflamingo hit the table.

"Enough of this! We all came together to find out who it was that texted this bullshit! I have a deadline to meet, and some caps to pop. Let's get on with this, okay?"

Law noticed the look Kid was giving him. The man was staring at him with a venomous stare, drumming his black nails against the armrests of his chair. For once he didn't say anything, and Law wasn't sure what he was thinking, but he felt he should avoid his general area. Killer had a restraining hand on Kid's coat, but the coat wasn't attached to anything but his huge shoulders.

As everyone started talking at once, Gin strolled up to Sanji, leaning against the wall next to him. "Hi, Blackleg. You're looking well, today."

Sanji studied him for a bit, remembering what Nami told him. While he only remembered encountering him on the Baratie – sure he'd remember more if he hadn't taken any of his medication – there was a sense of familiarity with the other man that had him relaxed. He was only slightly taller than him, dressed neatly in slacks, black shirt, maroon tie – but he wore basketball shoes instead. His hair was slicked back neatly, and the rubies in his earlobes were dull – still uncut. Sanji could only see him as the headwrap wearing, overly exhausted pirate that had been utterly grateful for him feeding him, so seeing him in this fashion caused him to stare a bit.

But his nose still wrinkled because Gin was still a man that encroached his personal space. "Good evening, Gin."

"It's been some time. Maybe you and your friends can come back down to the 'Hut sometime, and we can catch up," Gin said with a friendly smile.

"We're friends like that?"

"What, did you lose your memory, or something? Wherever you went?"

"Something like that."

"That's too bad. I worked really hard to get you to notice me, you know. I'm in a different place, now. I've settled down, some."

"That's an odd thing to say. Why would you do that?"

Gin looked at him for a couple of moments, unsure of how to reply. Sanji really had no idea how things were between them, and it puzzled him enough to take a step back, frowning at him. But as he did so, he looked him over, liking everything he saw. From the messy waves of his hair, to the way the clothes he wore hugged his body, to the rather innocent curiosity of his face – Gin had to resist reaching out and touching him, tempted to make him remember him.

Then he was gone, replaced by a trashcan from the outside, Sanji reacting with a startled lunge away from the wall. Then he looked over at Law, but Law was looking in the other direction because Crocodile was threatening Apoo for whistling at him, and Sanji only shook his head, finding another place to stand because the trashcan was starting to smell.

"So you're the fabled Sanji," Bonney said, walking up to him, arms crossed over her chest. She gave him a onceover, lingering at Law's hat for a few moments. Her anti-eyebrow ring glinted with tiny diamonds, her lips glossy with neon pink coloring. Her pink hair was twisted into vintage victory rolls, the ends pulled into a high ponytail – her tiny shorts, high boots and her braless chest underneath the crop top did nothing to hide anything. Sanji was embarrassed just looking at her, so he looked in another direction instead. "Everyone else got to meet you but me. I have a feeling we're going to be closely acquainted if you've involved with that one, and the Strawhats, so we may as well as get to know each other now."

"It's nice to meet you."

One long almond-shaped fingernail scratched at one perfectly drawn eyebrow as she snapped her gum. "Me and my girls run the streets – as their mistress, I've given them power and control over themselves, so it's us women against you men. What sort of power do you have? I heard you kicked Crocodile's ass, before, completely on your own. And I watched you nearly kill Zeff so you've got it going on."

"I don't have any powers."

"Liar. Look, between you and me, why don't you hang out with us sometime, hmm? Just me and the girls. I guarantee you they'll enjoy listening to what you have to say about your boyfriend – you guys must fuck all the time for him to be so clingy, because in all honesty? We admire that sort of power. You can give us some tips on how to please a man from a man's perspective!" she said, a power-hungry look to her face as she clenched a fist.

Sanji reddened, looking away as her straight-forward manner felt too vulgar, almost how Nami made him feel when she talked about sleeping with one of the syndicate heads for power. He wasn't used to women speaking like that – then had to tell himself he grew up around that sort of attitude. He wasn't a pirate, anymore.

"Oh my god, are you _embarrassed_?" she asked, peering up at him. "it's like you're so innocent -!"

She was replaced by a garbage bag that looked familiar, Sanji looking at Law with relief. Then he walked away from the garbage bag because he didn't know who it belonged to, or what was actually in it, other than what Law said it contained. When he resettled in a position that prevented others from approaching him, Corazon left Doflamingo's side with his Vita. He leaned against the wall next to Sanji and focused on his game, Sanji feeling like it was more of a protective gesture than a friendly one.

Doflamingo scowled at his brother, and tried to whisper loudly, "Remember what I said! Cora! HEY CORA! Hey, GB, tell him - !"

" _I know what you said and I'm ignoring you_!" Corazon snarled around his cigarette.

"Don't forget it, _Claire_!"

"I swear to god, if you hear about the man dying in his own pool of blood, it was me, Sanji," Corazon told Sanji with a rather frightening expression. Sanji wasn't even sure what was happening between them, but Corazon's red eyes were pretty intense, practically burning holes into his brother's frowning face feet away from him. Sanji was starting to wish he'd stayed in the truck with Bepo at this point.

Before he knew it, Shachi was standing next to him, appearing so suddenly that he startled Corazon into dropping his Vita, almost inhaling the cancer-stick with a gasp. As he choked and coughed, both men looking at him with concern, one of the syndicate heads lifted up from his chair with a drawn out snarl of fury.

"Come to order!" Krieg bellowed, pounding on the table. "As we're all here, obviously baffled by the strange events as of it late, let us come together to figure out a solution. You three – you're so 'with the times', trace that number's origin point. Find out who is behind the threat. The rest of you people – get your people ready. We will swarm the last known location of this bastard, and make him regret trying to tangle up with us."

"There's no need for that. I'm right here. I apologize for being late."

Everyone looked up with surprise, all of them watching as the man emerged from a doorway nearby.

Sanji looked down at his feet with a slight smile, as Mihawk looked at all their startled expressions. He had his tablet in hand, and looked as if he'd just left the golf course, dressed in a faded printed shirt and chinos.

"To make this short, I sent all the messages. I'm tired of going to work everyday, caught up in traffic jams caused by you people. I've lost three days worth of pay because of it. There are no compensations for it. As a man on fixed income, I can't be bothered with dismissing these atrocities so casually. All I ask is that you are aware of the Strawhats' newest assignment, and while you're all aware that Strawhat is a severe annoyance to anybody with a working heart, he'll be ten times more keeping you all in line. Especially you three."

He caught sight of Bonney stomping in, carrying a garbage bag full of treasure. She paused short to look at him, giving him a disgusted look.

" _Especially_ you three."

"What's this?" she asked Kid. "Who's the grandpa?"

"The guy behind all the threats," Kid reported. "What's in that bag?"

"Just trash."

"That's mine, actually," Crocodile said. "Whatever it is."

"You don't even know what it is!"

"I can see it's money, and it's mine."

"Finders keepers, old man!"

"There's another one!" Apoo pointed out, everyone turning to look at the trashbag that Law had replaced Bonney with.

Mihawk rolled his eyes once their attention was diverted, and looked at his tablet again. "And please be prepared for some changes to happen. I realize that no one here enjoys the thought of change, but it will happen. All I had to do was set the ball rolling. And it's not that hard to obtain personal information about each and every one of you. Change your phone numbers, for Christ's sake, and change your Netflix passwords every three months. Don't use the same password for every encrypted site you use on the internet. That kind of thing is easy to crack once you obtain one password."

He then walked away, leaving everyone staring after him with mystification. Bonney opened the bag to withdraw several large bills, Apoo looking in after it, then hurriedly racing to pick up the other bag. Kid watched their actions with disinterest, knowing that if he got involved, there was no doubt trouble right behind it. Frankly, he would be suspicious if he came upon bags of money just sitting there, but what did he know? He looked over at Law, who'd left the table to walk over to Sanji, reaching out to shake his jacket, saying something that caused Corazon to separate them gently while Sanji laughed, and Shachi protested.

He growled, fingers clenching into fists as Sanji looked up at the man with an adoring expression, Law looking irritated as he turned away with a huff.

"So, this is it, then," Crocodile mumbled with dissatisfaction, crossing his feet atop of the table. "Strawhat has willingly been convinced to take Zeff's spot. I don't know how to feel about that. But anything to get these retards out of their chairs, I'm not going to complain. I don't mind following rules unless I feel there can be changes made."

"I don't like it, but there's no choice in the matter. And who the hell was that guy, anyway?" Drake demanded.

"Former CIA. Spook. All his records are locked so there's no information on him, other than Zoro Roronoa being his son. He knows more about us than we do about him, unfortunately. He doesn't scare me one bit."

Most of them shuddered and looked uncomfortable with their fate.


	25. Chapter 25

A/N: This was a hard chapter to put up - BECAUSE I HAD SO MUCH TROUBLE UPLOADING I HAD TO DO SERIOUS SHORTCUTS AND CUT THIS CHAPTER IN HALF. The Epilogue will be coming soon, there's a process i have to undergo to copy and paste and reload then edit the shit out of it and it's making me cranky. (huffs)

Guest:Doffy likes giving himself roles that don't make any sense to anybody else haha! Your review made me happy! I hope to have more projects to finish soon - more than likely, i'll be finishing up with Family Bonds because it's pretty much finished. Just got to upload

Crimson Fox: It gets worse D:

 **Chapter Twenty-Five:**

 **Feed Your Head!**

"First off, I did try to say something about it. You wouldn't let me finish. Second, I agree with Luffy's vision in keeping these people in line. I don't know what you were expecting from me, but living a life without adventure doesn't feel like a life at all," Sanji told Law firmly once they were outside. Shachi was busy describing to Bepo what his parents had done to make him run away from home, and Bepo was responding with outrage, all four of them walking back to the truck Bepo had parked a safe distance away.

Law was sullen about what he'd learned and his expression was decidedly heavier the more Sanji talked. "This life isn't the fairytale Hiluluk imagined for you, Sanji," he snapped. "This life, you need to complete high school to continue to college – you had planned on going to San Francisco for culinary school! You think you don't need that, keeping these bastards in line? And Zeff never wanted you involved in this world! For you to go behind his back and step in on his position – "

"None of you bastards have the right to stand there and tell me how I should be living," Sanji snapped back at him, pausing in mid-step. "I decide what I want to do! Every time you make a decision on my behalf, it ends up blowing up in my face because of it!"

"We make decisions like these ones because we care about you!"

"How is repressing my desire to live an adventuresome life good for me at all? In the end, if I have to sneak around your goddamn decision to make my own decision, you damn well know I will do it. How does that make you different from Dr Hiluluk?"

"Don't you compare me to that man!"

"You're trying to keep me in another cage!"

"I don't want to lose you again!"

"I do what I feel is right for myself, and for others! I agreed to do this because I feel it fits me, because I feel I can do most in this position. Why the fuck should I be kept in a house and shielded from all the bad things in the world because one unfortunate thing happened to me?"

"I can't believe you said that to me," Law said tightly. "For you to think so selfishly of yourself at this point – "

"Is this selfish? Wanting to live my own life? You said we'd made plans for the future for us to be together, but only after we'd carried out our goals. How is this not different from that? I still plan on catching up with this schooling as soon as this shit's gone from my head – but at the same time, I can't just be kept in a cage for you at home, waiting for your beck and call. I need to feel as if I'm living, too!"

"For a year and a half, we combed through this city looking for you. The next year and ahlf after that, I began searching for your remains. Do you know what that does to a person? Not knowing where their loved one disappeared to, having no answers, having no clue that they were nearby, being experimented on, and then having them returned all fucked up in the head, not remembering anything that they'd had previously with their family and friends? Thinking they're a goddamn pirate and shit? How the fuck do you think we feel now, about it? How I feel about it? Of course I'm going to make a big deal out of this!"

"I'm sure you feel very…I can't imagine it. But I can't just…not do anything. I have to do something. I feel I can make a difference with the others about this situation. Yes, maybe I wasn't a pirate that lived an adventure every day – that's my reality. But this here, this mindset I have now – this is me as I understand me. This is something I have to do in order to feel like a fucking person, again! I don't know the person that you guys know! I have to start from scratch! But this here – this is something I do know! I have to do it!"

"Losing yourself to this fucking fantasy that should've died by now isn't going to help return your memories or pull you back to reality."

"Look, buddy," Sanji snapped, finger to his chest as Law glared down at him. They were so involved with each other that they hadn't noticed that Shachi and Bepo had hurried off ahead of them, uncomfortable with the fight. "I'm not that fucking boy anymore. You can't make those decisions for me. Zeff doesn't make decisions for me. NOBODY makes decisions for me! I make them! If this is what I want to do, I'm going to fucking do it, whether or not I have your support in it! If you don't want to support me, then make peace with yourself and leave."

"You did not just - !"

"You're mad! I get it! But fuck you if you want to just stand here and tell me what to do because of it! You either take a walk to cool down and think it over, or you just accept it as is and shut up about it. Either way, I'm doing this. There is nothing you can say or do that will stop me from doing it. As loyal as I am towards you, I am towards Luffy and the others. We've decided as a group to get involved. I'm getting involved."

"The shit that comes from your mouth, right now. If that fucking little prick wanted to jump off the goddamn bridge right now, you'd follow him?"

"Height was never a problem with me."

"Fucking bullshit, Sanji."

"What scares you about it, anyway? I thought you'd be more supportive, considering how much interference you caused in their activities, anyway!"

"It's fucking obvious, you dumb shit."

"You're not going to lose me again! The only way you'd lose me is if you keep repressing me. I will leave. Yeah, thanks for the memories and effort, but I will turn and walk away from you just like that if you keep deciding that your way is better for me."

"Because what Zeff and I decide for you while you're in this state of mind is better for you, jackass! Legally, you're mentally incompetent to make any sort of legal decision on your own! Luffy and the others could find themselves in legal trouble if something happens to you! You could be released back to the asylum that you were held in until you were determined to have some competency to you – and who knows for how long, considering that son of a bitch made you think you were a fucking pirate who does pirate things for three years! Look around you – everyone has a job. Everyone contributes something to this society – once the proper authorities realize that you aren't, it's only a matter of time before they catch up to you."

Sanji stared at him for a couple of moments, then looked away. "You haven't contributed anything. You don't have a real job."

"I own a few properties on the north side of the city. I invested in the money I liberated from the syndicate heads those years ago – still doing it, by the way - and while some of it is going to other important places, I use that from time to time to take care of things that matter to me. meanwhile, as soon as your head is on straight, I planned on settling down here with a respectable job and doing respectable things! So, yes, maybe I don't have a job right now – I consider taking care of you a priority. How can I do that when you're throwing yourself into positions that threaten to take you away from me?"

"And what happens after I get my head back on? You going to make up something else to try and stop me?"

"Goddamn it, Sanji."

"I'm doing this, with or without your approval. You can talk yourself hoarse trying to stop me."

Law stared at him for a few seconds, Sanji glaring right back at him.

"You would willingly undo all the hard work and effort we've all put into your life just to experience a few thrilling moments?"

"Newsflash – I'll be absolutely fine. It feels like I've only been here a short time, but Corazon was right about you. You're a goddamn worrywart. Lay off."

With a growl, Law reached up, grabbing a hold of his jaw tightly.

"You want to do whatever the fuck you want, do it on your own, then. Obviously my opinion means nothing to you, nor the efforts I put into your unappreciative ass," Law snapped at him, pushing his head away and turning and walking off with a furious curse that rang out at the streets.

Sanji watched him go, face scrunched with a glare. "You can't always get your way!" he shouted after him.

"Fuck you, Sanji."

Frustrated, Sanji exhaled shortly, stuffing his fists into his jacket pockets. When the other man disappeared around the corner of the street over, Sanji began walking again, heading home.

Minutes later, he realized he didn't know how to get home. He stood there at a crosswalk, looking around himself, looking for something familiar. Traffic rolled by at quiet intervals, and snow plows took to the street to clear away recently fallen powder. People shuffled by on the sidewalks, taking careful steps over the salty walkway. He wiped his mouth and chin with irritation. He didn't have his phone. As he watched the lights change, and the tiny green man flash, he followed the instructions and crossed the road, then made a tentative right. Then a left, sure he'd recognize at least one of the buildings he passed. But everything looked different at night. And he didn't remember ever venturing to this section of the city with the others. The high rise towers in the faint distance told him he was on the other side of the city that was near the river, so he figured if he followed them, he'd find the river, and from there find the way to the condo. But walking the long distance did nothing for his thoughts.

The streets turned and twisted into different sights, and downtown became too clustered – homeless people wandered up to him, asking for handouts, accusing him of wrongdoing. There were police and an ambulance parked nearby, attending to a man that had fallen off his bike. There were screams coming from a nearby parking garage, but they were only teenagers running through the levels. Airplanes soared overhead, causing the glass to shudder down below. Lanes widened to accompany freeway entrances and exits, and he realized he had no idea where he was at all.

Emotion built in his chest. He was pretty sure his previous self would have known how to get home, would have never left without his phone. But the bitterness that built in him as he walked, his feet growing sore in shoes that were too stiff for long distance walking, was only accompanied with a growing sense of alarm and despair. For as long as he continued to fight off the familiar 'fantasy' in his imagined life, he needed to depend on others. He couldn't do this on his own. He looked at the street signs, hands shaking as he lit a cigarette. He didn't recognize any of the names, and though the high rises were close by, there was still a freeway that separated him from them. Buildings turned into grand houses, with fenced in properties. Parking garages turned into yards. Dogs barked. The residential area turned into school zones and parks full of snowmen.

He looked around himself, smoke stinging his eyes. A police car pulled up to the curb, and two uniformed men left the vehicle, moving up to a house where a sobbing woman sat on the stairs. The confrontation of a man lingering in the doorway and the officers turned into a shouting match, and Sanji continued on because it had nothing to do with him. Houses turned into strip malls and wide lanes of traffic. Fast food restaurants lined the sidewalk, brilliant signs inviting and warm. But he realized he was lost, and the terrible drop of his stomach made him wince as he recognized nothing. He swallowed tightly, tossing aside his filter. Then found a bus stop bench and sat slowly, staring out at the street with apprehension and a strong sense of timidity that stung his pride. Snow fell softly, and he looked up and down the street, waiting for something to happen. Waiting for a sign. Waiting for help.

When it didn't come, he pulled his elbows to his knees and rested his head in his hands. He felt frustrated, lost and alone, and all the feelings threatened to pour out, again. He heard a small slide of sound, and looked over to seeing a scared face looking at him from the other side of the bench.

It startled him for a moment, thinking he was looking at someone's stray pet. But once he realized how round and focused those dark eyes were, the appearance of a winter sweater on his back and a thick, heavy scarf around his furry neck, Sanji straightened up on the bench with a relieved expression. "Hi."

It took a few moments for the little creature to respond, trembling slightly as he searched for any sign of aggression in Sanji's features. But once he realized Sanji had none of those in his posture or tone of voice, he said shakily, "Hi, Sanji. What are you doing out here?"

Sanji looked around himself, watching traffic pass by at a near crawl because of overly cautious drivers. Then, with a pathetic smile, he answered, "I'm lost."

Relaxing just slightly, Chopper shifted his head a little to look at him, observing the slumped posture and tired features in the other's face. Blue nose wiggling, he continued to search for any indication of a threat to his wellbeing, considering the circumstances that had occurred. But the man truly looked helpless at the moment, and there was something odd about his demeanor, compared to the bright, cheery teen that he'd been when Chopper had last seen him.

"I'm sorry. Why don't you call for help?"

"I don't have my phone. I left it at home."

"That's unusual. You always had it on you."

"But I'm not myself, anymore."

Chopper stepped just a little further into Sanji's vision, looking at him with concern. Guilt made his own features heavy, a frown turning his mouth into a trembling mess. He rested his furry chin on the bench, peering up at him with sad eyes. "I'm so sorry. Um, the bus stops running here at this time. It won't start until five a.m. I…I would like to help, but…I can't be outside for very long. You understand why, right?"

"It'll be fine, Chopper, right now I'm on my own. Come sit with me."

"But you might kill me. For what Dr Hiluluk did. After he took you away, he never came back. Dr Kureha was always afraid that there would be retaliation done because of it. I tried to stop him that night, Sanji. I'm so sorry. Not long after that, Kureha started giving me special tea to help me forget, because I worried so much. But she was worried that Zeff would kill me because of Dr Hiluluk. After that…not long after that, she passed away. And I was on my own. I didn't remember what had happened until a year ago, when I saw Zeff near the harbor. He looked so sad, then. I had thought you were dead. But I couldn't say anything because Kureha had told me he would kill me."

Sanji stared at him for several moments, then patted the bench next to him. "We have something in common, then. It sounds like we're in the same boat. I was given the same tea, and I forgot all about myself. That's why I'm lost."

"Kureha had said it was meant to give dreams weight. Dr Hiluluk's dreams were full of adventure. What was yours, Sanji?"

"I was a pirate."

"Me, too! I was a doctor for a pirate crew! A real life doctor! I knew everything about the position, Sanji! I could fix anybody!" Chopper said excitedly, then pulled back with a worried face. "But then I woke up, and it took me a long time to realize that I wasn't."

"What have you been doing all this time?"

"Mm, not much. Just staying out of sight. I only come out at night around here. I stay in abandoned houses, and fix homeless people." "That does it. I've decided. You're going to come home with me, then."

"I can't do that, Sanji. I was responsible for that sad look on Zeff's face that day. I couldn't do anything to help return you to him when Dr Hiluluk – he was out of his mind. I couldn't fix him. Nothing we said mattered to him. The guilt must've affected Kureha so much, that was probably why she passed away. I don't expect forgiveness for what we've done," Chopper said sadly.

"You don't expect it, but you've got it. We have something in common, Chopper. A lot of things, actually. I'm glad that I ran into you, tonight. I wanted to find you and Kureha, and – "

"I can't accept your forgiveness, Sanji," Chopper said, backing away from the bench. "What was done was terrible. I don't know what Dr Hiluluk did to you all this time, but it's not something that can be forgiven so easily. I'm glad you're okay, though."

"Listen, Chopper – have you been in contact with Dr Hiluluk?"

"No. No, after…after that, he…he never did answer our calls. And Kureha said that he told her he would…if we tried to see him. She wouldn't say, but she wouldn't – then she passed away, and…I don't know where he works. If you see him, though, is it possible for me to talk to him?" Chopper asked, looking at him hopefully.

Sanji winced, looking at his hands. "Um…that's not possible. He…he passed away, too. Recently."

"Oh." Chopper's head lowered, and his hooves clicked lightly on the sidewalk as he stepped back once more.

Sanji stood, and the little reindeer quickly shifted away, moving into a position to run, so Sanji held his hands up, indicating that he wasn't a threat. "Come home with me. There's plenty of room. You shouldn't have to live on the streets, like this," Sanji insisted. "Because of what was done, you and I should stick together."

"How did he die, Sanji?" Chopper asked him instead, looking at him suspiciously. "You're back, and I understand that your family is…part of the syndicate life. Did Zeff kill him?"

"No."

Chopper looked up at him, waiting for more. Sanji exhaled heavily, and sat back down, resting his shaking hands between his knees. He needed another dosage, tasting metal at the back of his tongue. Despite the chilly temperatures, his hairline began to bead with moisture. His stomach felt upset.

"To be honest, I did," he confessed quietly. He stared at the high rise towers in the distance, feeling the slow throb began to build in his legs, an unfamiliar soreness to them causing vague discomfort. He heard Chopper's low gasp. "Because I lost three years of my life thinking I was a pirate. Because I missed my high school graduation, missed seeing my friends obtain all the things that I should have…my driver's license, college acceptance, culinary school…I should be in San Francisco right now, living out my dream of becoming one of the area's greatest cooks, and having the old man proud of me for it. I should be married, with a kid on the way, with the promise of a house with a white picket fence saved to my goals on my phone. I should have a dog named Momo.

"But I don't have any of those things. I have a boyfriend who loves me, but I never thought of myself as 'gay', so I couldn't accept his feelings the way that I used to. Dr Hiluluk created a trigger inside of me, so whenever I see Zeff, I try to kill him on sight. And if I do succeed, I'll end up killing myself right after, because that's what Dr Hiluluk wanted as revenge. I have these friends I don't know, anymore, because I was trained to see them as this pirate crew, and not these…real people. Who aren't part of my life, anymore. "I killed him because he killed me, and he threatened to kill those I loved through the use of my own limbs. It doesn't matter how he was killed. He was removed because there was no saving him as a person, and because I felt he had no remorse for the things he threatened. I'm sorry, Chopper. I understand he was your father figure. I can't imagine that sort of…"

He looked up when he realized Chopper was running away from him, crying in the night. It made his chest tight, and his throat dry. His own eyes welled with frustrated and helpless tears, but he didn't let them drop. He looked back up at the towers in the distance and clenched his fists, struggling to let the pain of the situation go away.

An hour later, he looked up as Chopper returned, head low. Sanji sat with his shoulders hunched, feeling icy all over. His jaw felt tight, but his teeth chattered noisily. He'd gone through all his cigarettes, the filters laying at his feet, but he didn't want to move because he felt if he did, he'd get lost even further in the edges of the city. So when Chopper returned, he felt relieved at seeing a familiar face.

Chopper looked at him for a few moments, then changed into a humanoid form. The sweater adjusted with him, and the bench creaked as his weight caused it to shift, Sanji nearly losing his balance.

"You don't smell too good," Chopper said to him cautiously. "It's very strong."

"I need medicine. It's at home. But the more I sit here without it, the more these things return to me," Sanji said, teeth chattering. "I'm remembering things I can't see when I have it. I can see the street names to my home, but I can't seem to remember how to get there."

Chopper fiddled with his fingers, looking down at them with worry. "Did he suffer?"

"I can't answer that. I don't want to talk about his death."

"He raised me, Sanji."

"But he abandoned you, too."

"I admit, he was driven to revenge. He talked about his wife all the time. He missed her. He regretted his life choices, but he never regretted being involved with her. I'm sure he regretted using you to get revenge against the actual person who harmed him, but…hate and anger do so many things to a person. You can't sort it out."

Sanji nodded, sniffling.

"Yep."

Chopper looked up at the night sky, his large shoulders slumped. "Maybe he didn't make all the right choices in life, but…he loved me. I guess not enough to make sure I was safe. Or cared for. So maybe he didn't."

"He regretted letting his madness take over. I hope that in time, you forgive me, too. You asked that I break the cycle, but I couldn't. I'm not that strong of a person. If you chose your revenge, all I ask is that it satisfy you to your heart, and not your mind. If you feel it in your soul to do so, then it's a revenge worth taking."

Chopper snorted.

"Once upon a time, I was a doctor. I saved people. I didn't take their lives away. I won't do that. I think I need time and understanding in order to accept his death. I understand that's how the world works."

"Then, in the meantime, come live with me. With us. Maybe we were lost in our delusions, but we can find true adventure with friends."

"Delusions are really difficult to break free, from, Sanji. It took me a long time to let go of mine. But I admit, I haven't really forgotten. I just…I need some time to accept his death. His madness."

"I understand."

"Let me take you home, Sanji. You don't smell too good. It smells like you'll be sick," Chopper then said gently. "I'm sure you have people worried about you."

"It's my own fault for wandering off. But I'm glad I did. I really wanted to talk to you, Chopper."

"Maybe it was fate, then, that I saw you walking past me. I didn't think it was you, at first, I'll never forget Zeff's sad face – but I'm glad you did. I feel a little better about it, now. Knowing you're alive."

"Me, too, about you," Sanji said, looking up at him with relief. "I hope we can become friends. But I won't take it badly if you decide to kill me, one day. I'd understand."

"Stop saying that," Chopper scolded, standing up, and helping him stand, too. "I won't be killing anybody. I just hope your family doesn't kill me for what Dr Hiluluk did."

"They won't. I made them promise," Sanji said cheerfully, wiping his hairline.

With much doubt and uncertainty, Chopper nodded, but he changed into the small reindeer form he was more comfortable with, pulling his scarf over his antlers and head so he wouldn't look so outlandish. Then he called for an Uber on his cellphone.

Nearly twenty minutes later, Sanji picked up the small reindeer and held him securely in his arms, exhaling heavily as Chopper looked at him with worry, trembling slightly. Sanji gave him a reassuring smile, then entered the condo swiftly, feeling nauseated and dizzy as he did so.

The moment he did so, Shachi looked at him with a relieved expression, leaping up from the couch and then giving Chopper a mystified look. "You're in so much trouble right now, I can't even say how much," Shachi then told Sanji, hands on his hips.

"It's his fault for being such an asshole."

"And you're sick, so when he finds out, he's going to be even more pissed! I will take up on his offer for a hotel for the night so I don't have to see the savage mauling that will take place!"

"'Mauling'?" Chopper cried in terror, clinging to Sanji's jacket.

"It speaks?" Shachi asked, poking at the reindeer's furry cheek before Chopper tried to bite him. " _It bites_! Throw it outside! What is it, anyway?"

"Chopper, this is Shachi. Shachi, Chopper. Chopper is my new house guest. He will be treated with much respect and courteousness as Bepo has been," Sanji said, holding onto Chopper tightly as Shachi started texting. Chopper froze because he sensed a shift in Sanji's personality and the feel of his arms – as if preparing for a fight.

"Bepo didn't earn his respect for years," Shachi warned Chopper. "That brown nosing bear had it coming so many times! It was only when we realized that we couldn't kill him that we finally respected him! How hard is it to kill you?"

"Back off, ass," Sanji warned, kicking him lightly as Chopper looked at him with worry. "Don't worry, Chopper, this one only barks tough. He runs strictly on fear and sugar cookies."

"Sugar cookies?" Chopper repeated, sounding hopeful. Because that sounded like a request, Sanji turned to the kitchen to feed him, Shachi following out of curiosity because he hadn't even checked the cupboards or fridge for anything to eat since he'd arrived.

But before they could step into the kitchen, Law appeared in front of him, Bepo right behind him. Bepo growled at the sight of Chopper in Sanji's arms; Sanji held him tightly as Law looked at him murderously, and Shachi cried out with fright, startled by their sudden appearance.

"Where have you been, you fucking brat? I turn around and you're gone! Look at you!"

"I'm back! And don't call me a fucking brat when you fucking left me!"

"You told me to take a walk!"

"Off a short pier, dumb ass!"

With frustration, Law saw that Sanji had his arms wrapped tightly around Chopper, holding him like a child between them. If he even tried to touch the creature, Sanji would probably kick him into next week. Chopper was looking from him to Bepo with immense fright, shaking violently with wide eyes – while definitely surprising that Sanji had returned with the animal hybrid, it wasn't that that bothered him. It was Sanji's appearance, and with much irritation, he forced his hands down to his sides, Bepo growling over his shoulder with such menacing action that Shachi hid behind Sanji.

"What's this?" Law asked slowly, feeling his face tighten with expectation.

"He found me and brought me home. A little appreciation would be nice," Sanji answered stubbornly.

"No one was able to find him or Kureha after all this time, and this happens to be an accident?"

"Yep. And he's going to live with us, now."

Bepo stopped growling and Shachi watched Law for his reaction. Sure enough, Law looked at Sanji with growing confusion. Sanji tightened his hold on Chopper, the reindeer burying his face against his jacket, trembling as fear caused him distress.

"Oh? He is?"

"Kureha passed on not long after I was taken. She was giving him the same stuff Dr Hiluluk gave me so that he would forget what he'd witnessed. As a result, we understand each other. He wasn't involved in the entire thing, and it's not his fault. He has no where else to go, and he was living on the street. So now, he'll be living with us. He was unable to approach either of you because of the guilt he felt in being unable to say anything."

"So instead of him feeling guilty for helping fuck you up, you take him in because you feel guilty that he feels guilty. Classic Sanji. We have a strict no pet policy, here."

"I'm not a pet!" Chopper said against Sanji's chest. "I'm a reindeer!"

"We have a strict no reindeer policy, here."

"Then we'll find our own place," Sanji said. "I have no problem living on the street. We can take care of each other."

"Bepo, take me to Denny's," Shachi said. "Because I have a feeling World War 3 will start off in t-minus 20 seconds."

"Oh, certainly. I'm quite famished myself," Bepo said cheerfully, pulling out his truck keys.

"Traitors," Law said, frowning after them. "Leaving me with no backup."

"You're a grown man, handle your wife," Shachi said.

"Why is he the wife?" Law asked.

"Why am I the wife?" Sanji asked indignantly.

"Both of you talk it out like women!" Shachi said impatiently, saluting him as he and Bepo left the place with a slam of the door.

Law frowned at Sanji, crossing his arms tightly over his chest. Then he gave Chopper a menacing stare, the reindeer once more burying his head against Sanji in an effort to escape the expression.

"Well, you can be the wife because you're the hole in this relationship – "

"STOP!" Sanji exclaimed trying to cover Chopper's ears with his crossed arms, his face reddening.

"Look, enough. You did a stupid thing tonight, let that be the end of it. I hope I was proven right," Law said, glaring down at him. Then frowned at Chopper once more. "Put him down."

"NO. I don't want you touching him until you agree with me."

"I won't touch him."

"Promise me you won't touch him."

"I won't touch him. In front of you."

"AT ALL. And neither will the others! You made a promise to me that you'll keep to your word, you knew I wanted to talk to him."

"Okay. Fine. Whatever. Go put him in the bathroom, or whatever, you and I need to talk."

"He needs medicine," Chopper said, barely turning his head. "I can smell the chemicals coming through his skin."

"Not yet," Sanji said firmly. "At this point, I remember things. A little bit. I want to talk like this, and not under the influence."

"At this point, will you even remember what we've talked about? The significance of it?" Law questioned.

"Of course!"

"Then put him down. He's probably uncomfortable with the smells, and you're squishing him."

"I promise I won't touch him or take him to Zeff," he then added with irritation as Sanji stared at him suspiciously. He narrowed his eyes as Sanji slowly crouched and set Chopper down on the floor, the reindeer hiding behind him, peering through his legs up at him. With as much as a menacing expression as he could exude at that moment – which was pretty intense - Law said to him, "But I can't promise that Zeff won't make a rug out of him once he gets him."

"He won't touch him, either, not when I'm here," Sanji snapped at him. "Stop talking to him like that. he was there when you weren't."

"He sure was. he took you to Dr Hiluluk to have your mind screwed up."

"Shut up about that! Stop talking about that! We're not talking about it – Chopper and I have talked it out, and it's good between us," Sanji said firmly. "I want to take him in. I'll take care of him. He has nobody else. I'm the only one he can rely on, right now."

Law looked at him with much disgust. For a moment, as Sanji stood there with his arms tightly crossed, stubborn expression to his face, it horrified him to realize that he vaguely looked like Corazon when Corazon had set his foot down. Then he realized that this was probably what Doflamingo looked at when Corazon decided he was going to keep a homeless child. Probably used the same argument too.

It killed him that they were right, that he had taken after Doflamingo, despite all his protests and refusal to see the truth. His uncle had more of an influence on him than he ever wanted to admit.

Sanji watched with confusion as immense horror hit the other man's face, as some internal battle raged in him. Law looked utterly undone at that moment, expression turning panicked. He even had an arm raised to his face, like he was trying to either protect himself or hide his expression.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked flatly.

"N-nothing," Law said heavily, looking at him. "Okay. Enough threats. Fine. Do what you want. But this thing between us needs to be addressed."

"And? I thought you were done with me. you told me I had to do this on my own."

"I did. And I went for a walk because you piss me off so much, I can't think straight. But never did I say I was 'done' with you. Why would you even think that?"

"That way you said it. The way you spoke to me. And we're fighting like this because we can't agree with each other on how I should be living my own life, and I expect that there will be more of it to come as I get my mind back," Sanji said tightly, suddenly feeling emotionally overhwlemed. "Why would you want to continue doing this with me?"

"Sanji, stupid. Look at me. We're going to fight. A lot. We are going to disagree on everything, and anything because that's how we are. You're always going to be a stubborn brat, and I'm going to be a stubborn ass. That's just how it is. That's how it's always been. You're not afraid to tell me I'm an ass and challenge everything I say or do – and I will always do what I think is right and safe for you because I want you with me all the time. That's just how it is. So for you to think that I'd leave you because you're not doing what I tell you you should be doing, then what the fuck is up with that? Why are you admitting defeat so easily like that?"

"Because I'm not myself, anymore. I don't know if you still like me the way you used to," Sanji confessed heavily.

"You're still Sanji Blackleg, the girly brat that keeps following me around, and while you might think a little differently, you're still him! Fuck, Sanji, I'm still going to tell you what you should be doing and how you should be doing it, but the only time you really listen to my instruction is when you're panting and moaning underneath - !"

"AH!" Sanji shouted, reaching out and slapping his mouth shut with both hands while looking back at Chopper with mortification, but Chopper was looking at him with concern.

"Ugh, your big yaoi hands smell like wet fur," Law complained, pushing them away.

"Asthma?" Chopper asked tentatively.

"Severe asthma when he's excited," Law said to him.

"Keep it G–rated, you bastard!" Sanji snarled at him, pushing him.

"Momo doesn't know what that means, he's a reindeer," Law told him patiently.

"His name's Chopper!"

"It's Tony Chopper, you ass," Chopper said to Law, then trembled when the man glared at him.

"Whatever. The point is – "

"You'll stop be so controlling?"

"No, that's just my personality. The point is – "

"You won't touch him."

"Let me finish. The point is – "

"You were a total ass tonight?'

"Sanji, you mother homo. Never mind. Go clean that thing up, I can smell it from here. You walk it when it needs it and you clean up the hay it eats, potty train it if possible, and if I start sneezing and breaking out in a rash because of it, you're taking it to the animal shelter and personally watching it get euthanized."

Chopper looked up at Sanji with a teary expression, and Sanji lifted him up into his arms with a scowl in Law's direction. Law then went to the kitchen to measure out the meds Caesar had made for Sanji, grumbling about white picket fences and who was the model wife in the relationship. He heard the bathtub running and Chopper's protests in that he didn't like water – the sounds of the activity made him feel funny. It was too domestic.

He was twisting the cap back on the bottle when he felt Sanji come up behind him and embrace him from there.

"We decided that you're not the seme of this relationship, Sanji."

"Shut up."

"Your pet's going to drown if not monitored."

"It's only a little bit, and it's running. I think he's like you guys – water makes him weak. There's still more to learn about him."

"Here, drink," Law ordered, turning around and tipping the cup to Sanji's lips. But he tightened them, not drinking just yet. "Drink it."

"Law…do you like me?" Sanji asked low, feeling his cheeks redden slightly while the fever made standing uncomfortable.

"Enough to make sure you don't die. Drink it."

"How much?"

"Sanji, obviously more than enough to let it slide for three years."

"That's not what I want to hear. After all that."

"Yes, I like you more than the average person," Law said with exasperation. "Enough to overlook all your bad points. All the bad points that make me want to run you over with a car and back over you for assurance. Open wide."

"Maybe you like me more than that. Maybe there's a different word for it."

"I'm a little more fond of you than I am of Bepo, then. I can do dirty things to you and not be accused of sick things."

Sanji bit him, causing him to yelp and pull away, rubbing his shoulder. "Try harder."

"I'm not into bears, Sanji. I thought this was obvious when I started molesting you." Sanji wondered if he meant a different sort of 'bear', because Law said it oddly, but he couldn't be sure with that face of his. But he looked up at him with expectation, waiting to hear from him what he wanted to hear.

"Do you need me to bring you a thesaurus?" he asked thinly.

"You know what that is?"

"I know your passcode to your phone. I will sign you up for Facebook and post some of the most incriminating pictures I have and have Doffy be your only Friend. Now, tell me how much you like me."

Law reached out with his free hand to brush some of his sweat heavy hair from his face, revealing slightly glassy eyes, a feverish flush that clashed just slightly with the pink of his shirt. He leaned down and kissed his forehead, then his eyelids, before giving him a firm kiss, tasting the slight metallic tinge that came from his saliva. He would definitely have to wait a little longer before pouncing on him again.

But that only meant another chance, another time, another plot.

"I love you, brat. You feel better?"

"Yeah," Sanji said with a happy smile. "Maybe if you'd said it before I started talking, I wouldn't have dragged this out so much."

"Point noted," Law said. Sanji took the cup from him and sipped the contents with reluctance. It took a few moments before he started to lose sight of the world as it was before him, and while he still felt sick, he felt the familiar sensation of sea motion, a constant movement that was noticeable on land. It was only the firing of hallucinogens taking place, and he became familiar with his surroundings as the place he was getting used to, no longer a pirate at sea – but a pirate forced to stay on land, forced away from dreams and goals and a life that hadn't been there at all.

But this time, the man standing in front of him with an upset frown wasn't that quiet, sullen man that he'd known as an anti-social strategist – he was a man Sanji had fallen in love with because he'd always been in love with him, and instincts didn't lie.

When Chopper emerged from the hall and was rubbing himself with a towel to get dry, it took him a few moments to know who he was. Sanji saw the reindeer as the doctor of the Sunny, and felt relieved that he'd returned from his own mysterious disappearance. At the same time, there was the vague understanding that Chopper had always been a part of his knowledge – just remembered differently. He was relieved that he was there, and yet curious to know how.

"Sanji. I love you," Law said, almost reminding him, and Sanji remembered that he'd said that before.

He looked at him with a smile, Chopper sniffing at him suspiciously with a furrowed brow.

Sanji reached out and hugged Law stiffly, then eased into the spot his body knew well, feeling Law hold him tight.

"I love you, too, jerk. Too much."


	26. Epilogue

**White Rabbit: Epilogue**

The next day, Chopper trembled as Sanji held him tightly, his entire body stiff with restraint. He'd purposefully skipped another dosage, and Chopper understood that this visit was very important to Sanji. He didn't get all the details, but from what he knew now, Dr Hiluluk had imprinted an order onto the man, to kill Zeff the moment he saw the man in person. But Sanji was determined to get over that terrible order – he figured coming over in the throes of withdrawal would be more useful than hopped up on the chemical mixture that nearly destroyed his mind in the first place.

Chopper knew he could help if he had access to the formula Law was using, but he was too shy to offer at the present moment.

Sanji remained standing in one spot with Chopper in his arms and Law nearby with a frown, ready to react if he had to. And Chopper was looking up at the other man that looked down at him with immense disapproval and a murderous air, obviously wanting to get his hands on him.

Chopper was terrified, but even more so when he realized that if he tried to run, there were two people that could easily kill him. At the same time, Sanji was squeezing him so hard that it was difficult to breathe. It made sense why Sanji held him – he had to. If he let go of Chopper, the two would pounce – it would keep his hands busy, keep them from reaching out to Zeff to begin another attempt on his life.

The bed and breakfast was a quaint Victorian house at the edges of the countryside – far enough away from the city to see its overpopulated borders, towers in the distance, but close enough to civilization to allow travelers to pop in for a curious look around.

Law remembered this place when they were children, and Corazon had tried taking them to a movie. He had no idea how Cora had lost his way, but with the lake shoreline nearby, he remembered being sullen about the entire thing, but Sanji had been happy just experiencing something new and exciting. He could hear the sound of the seagulls squawking in the air as they took flight, Sanji yelling about sandcastles, and Corazon moping nearby, holding his head in his hands. The memory made him smile vaguely, because only Sanji had seen the better side of things, and Law needed that in his life. He needed someone to see the light when he was used to lingering in the darkness, so it was almost symbolic that they were back for this moment.

Sanji struggled to keep his murderous thoughts to himself. It felt so alien, being filled with rage and false memories, false emotions, just at the sight of Zeff in person. But at the same time, he could see all his own memories of the older man, and he knew their relationship wasn't of hate and anger.

"Old man. I found him. But he's going to live with us, now," he said tightly, looking at Chopper. "Kureha passed away not long after I left."

"After you were 'taken'," Zeff corrected stiffly. "And you make a decision like this? He'll want revenge after what was done."

"We talked about it – "

"If he stabs me in my sleep, I'll be pissed, too, Sanji," Law said from nearby.

"I won't be doing any of that!" Chopper cried, hiding against Sanji's chest. "What happened was very unfortunate! I felt guilty that I couldn't stop him!"

"Both of you will have to accept that he's here, now, and he's under my care," Sanji said, glaring at both of them in turn.

"You can't even take care of yourself," Zeff pointed out impatiently, taking a step closer to him, and watching Sanji's body stiffen up, feet shifting to take a wide stance. But Sanji actively relaxed that stance and struggled to stay facing away from him. The wide porch was covered, decorated with fashionable outdoorwear, with guests inside enjoying snacks of hot chocolate and sandwiches, taking no note of what was happening outside.

"He has no one else. So he has me, now."

"And you let this happen?" Zeff asked Law. Law shrugged because he had no answer for it, so Zeff snorted. Crossing his arms in front of his chest, he looked down at Sanji with a scowl, Chopper turning his head slightly to look at him.

"Despite this, you're looking a lot better," Zeff said to Sanji, reaching out to pat his shoulder. "Not so predatory. You could eat more, though. It'll take me a few to send you home with some frozen meals, so you should stay here until then."

"I have something to discuss with you, but you can't get mad, or start throwing your foot around," Sanji told him. "I don't want you having a heart attack and dying because you're so old, you can't handle a bit of news."

"Watch what you say, brat. I'm not that old. I can still kick your ass if I have to," Zeff warned him. He then looked over at Law with accusation. "You did it this time, didn't you? You sick fuck. You found a way to make him pregnant, didn't you?"

Law choked on his spit. 'NO!"

Sanji couldn't stop himself from kicking out at him, Zeff avoiding the leg deftly.

"NO! OLD MAN! What a thing to say!"

Zeff laughed, reaching out to ruffle his hair, much to Sanji's consternation because he was too afraid to let Chopper go, knowing he'd attack once he felt he had the chance to do so. Chopper reached up and quickly combed his hair back into place, sensing the distress.

"All right. What is it? What's so important about this that you refuse to tell me over the phone?"

"Well…um, I decided to become involved. With Luffy and the others. We're going to take over your position, to keep these fools in line," Sanji said slowly, watching his expression.

Zeff crossed his arms tightly, leveling Sanji with a direct stare. "Yeah, I heard."

"You did? So why didn't you say anything before we came out here?"

"Sanji, I have my contacts. When this decision happened, I knew practically the moment it was decided – Mihawk and I are close," he added, raising his eyebrows. "We talked about it – the group is a good candidate for keeping those assholes in line, considering the age difference and the gap of understanding between new and old. While you were gone, they did well in intimidating them into cooperation – it was only a matter of time before they realized what they were missing. When Mihawk thought of it, he spoke to me, first. He knew you'd run along with them like the idiot you are, and while I didn't approve of it, considering what I had done to keep you out of that life, I knew I had no control over your decisions. I knew you'd fall in line with them.

"It's fine that you do, as long as you understand your own boundaries, and for the fact that you're not well at the moment to make your own sound decisions."

Sanji huffed, Law frowning at Zeff for his understanding. Shifting Chopper in his arms, Sanji said, "There you go, making decisions for me, and telling me what's best for me."

"Shut up, eggplant, you're like a small child barking up at an adult, demanding respect, but you don't earn respect by demanding it – you earn it! No doubt you've heard more of this from him than you have of me, and guessing by his expression, you didn't listen to him, either! Instead of wearing myself out insisting that you follow a rule, I accept that you're going to do what you want to do, like the idiot that you are. You always have to learn the hard way, what your decisions mean to you. I can't do anything about it, but sit back and wait for the chance to say 'I told you so'."

"I'd thought you have a fit about it," Sanji mumbled, Chopper reaching up to run a handkerchief over his face and forehead.

"You're not a child, anymore," Zeff said heavily. "The decisions you make now are your own. Unfortunately. Shitty brat. So if you want to run around with your idiot friends doing this and that with a world I tried very hard to keep you away from, then all my effort was wasted. I just have to live with that. All I ask is that you continue with your schooling in the meantime, and be a normal citizen with a boring fucking job so that you're not completely dependent on this one. you need to learn to be yourself, again, and not what this one tells you to do."

"Yeah, because I'm so much of an influence on him," Law said sarcastically.

For a few moments, Sanji just stood there, unable to come up with a thing in response. He'd been prepared to argue his side of the mess, but since Zeff waved it off, he wasn't sure what to say, now. The vague memories that came rushing back were a flutter of noise and images, jumbled together to show him pictures of his and Zeff's relationship as a family and not the pirate duo that served together on the Baratie. The man before him had been so tall and massive when he was a kid – his 'Papa'.

Now Zeff was much older, not as big, and when Sanji faced him, he was almost face to face to him, and the weathered lines of his face were much deeper than the ones he'd seen before. His heart ached for the lost time between them. There was helpless frustration building inside of him because of Hiluluk's intentions, keeping him from falling back into that loving relationship that they had. He wanted so badly to give the man a hug, to invade his space with familiar action, but he feared what would happen if he let go of Chopper to do so.

So he pushed aside the images that were trying to crowd over his pleasant memories, the disgusting images of wanting to kill him, and said, "Well, I'm glad you aren't fighting it. It would be useless. I decided on this. And I expect you to help out from time to time, as well."

"There you go with your demands," Zeff said. "Thinking you already have a foot in the door. The job is easy to do, but I don't think you should jump in head first, quite yet. Do your homework. Know each one individually – "

"You're not giving him advice right now, are you?" Law interrupted with disgust. "Talk to a more lucid mind in this situation. if anything, talk to Mihawk's brat or Robin about it. Sanji will forget most of this once he takes his medication."

"He won't forget this time," Zeff assured him, reaching out and touching Sanji's shoulder, then leaving his hand there. "He'll remember. Have more faith in him – if he can remember petty things from his childhood, he'll remember this."

"I am not a petty person," Sanji snapped, bristling at his touch but welcoming it at the same time.

"I thought you'd have more of a mind to not approve of this," Law told Zeff.

"You of all people should know better," Zeff snapped at him. "I thought you were some sort of genius, here. You lack common sense in the matter."

"Clearly, I have no back up anywhere," Law muttered to himself, frowning at Sanji.

"It's an unfortunate lesson to learn, but once the plan is set into motion, you realize your relationships with people held previously will change," Zeff told Sanji, forcing the man to look at him as Sanji was giving Law a satisfied smirk. "You can forget about that idiot family being your friend – don't think that just because you're screwing around with this kid that they'll look at you fondly, anymore."

Sanji was uncomfortable with the subject. The thought of Doflamingo and Corazon disagreeing with their tactics and fighting with them as they used to fight Zeff felt painful. But it was going to happen. He figured he'd understand it better when the time came.

Zeff looked at Chopper, the reindeer trembling slightly in his arms. Sanji held him a little more firmly, knowing Zeff was going to say something.

"And you…any wrong move, and I'll enjoy you as a stew," Zeff threatened softly, the warning more menacing because of the deliverance. "A little at a time. Just enough for you to watch me enjoy what I do with the meat I take away from you. It'll be one leg at a time, so you'll live a little longer – "

 _"Stop!"_ Sanji snapped, kicking at him lightly while Chopper gave a sound of distress. "None of you will touch him!"

Zeff then reached out and hugged him tightly, resting his head against his – Sanji wasn't so little, anymore. He was nearly a grown man – he didn't fit as he used to, and he wasn't going to have the time he'd lost with him, as well. But as time passed, when they could talk on the phone or FaceTime with each other over various things during the course of a day, it was getting easier to feel relief come back. Sanji was getting his mind back, and he was settling back into place, and he was making his own decisions.

As alien as they were, he was still the stubborn, troublesome boy that he'd always been, and Zeff was thankful for that.

"I'm just glad you're home, boy. Everything else will be figured out when it comes."

Sanji had a million things to say in response, but none of them came to tongue. He just felt embarrassed at how emotional he felt being so close to the old man, remembering all the old times when he was a small child and Zeff would hug him without any effort at all.

"Okay," was all he could say in response, eyes burning slightly as he continued to combat the need to kill him while he was so close.

: :

Bonney snapped her gum while Apoo argued with Krieg nearby.

Drake and Crocodile were talking over coffee and smoking guns, Doflamingo was taking a selfie with all of them in the background, Corazon chewing on a straw while playing on his phone, and Arlong and Dr Hogback snapping at each other for encroaching each other's space in the parking lot. The conference room was too warm with too many bodies, and too many minions shifted restlessly because Bonney's girls were making vulgar observations and displaying too much flesh nearby.

Kid was twirling Law's glasses around on one finger, looking troubled. His feet were propped up on the table, and Bonney had just asked him why he looked so blue.

"First off, I was pissed because my soulmate refuses to chase after me after I threw myself at him, totally making it obvious that I'm interested in him," he said dejectedly, as Arlong and Dr Hogback's voices rose and Crocodile snapped at them to quiet down. "What's that guy got that I don't? I asked myself, like, over and over again. So, like, literally, I get this thing in my head where I'm just going to go over and ask him – what the fuck? You know? Why can't you give me a chance?"

"You did not tell yourself to do that!" Bonney laughed, digging a sandwich out of her purse, eating it while digging chips out from the Party Sized!bag near her.

"Me, myself and I have interesting conversations after we've finished a drink or two," Kid confessed, brushing the feathers from his face as he adjusted his coat.

"So, after a long night of thinking it over, I go over, right? I know where he lives. I've been there a few times."

"Smelling his underwear, you creep?" Bonney joked.

Kid looked troubled, rubbing his chin. "I think he's starting to catch on that I do this."

"You're so _gross!"_

"Because he does laundry like, every day."

"You're such a stalker, it's hilarious."

"So I go over there, I'm all prepared. I got a speech all laid out, and I wrote it on my arms, even. I'm ready to throw my heart out there!" Kid sighed heavily, slumping in his chair, holding onto the pair of glasses with one hand before slipping them into his inside jacket pocket.

"So I go over there and…never in my life…NEVER IN MY LIFE, Bonney gal, did I ever want to be the meat of a man sandwich so bad."

Bonney's eyes widened comically, food falling from her mouth.

"At that moment, I decided that I am fully capable of taking on two dudes at once. Fuck it, if I have to share the love of my life with someone else, I'm going to participate."

"What did you see?" she asked excitedly. "Was it big? Was it everything that we'd dreamed of?"

"I'm just saying, if that man wants me to plow his wife while he's plowing me, I'm not even going to hesitate," Kid said with a sigh. "After that, I ran away. And I can't even look at either of them the same, now. All I see when I look at them is him giving him all his attention and fingers and making him squeal and - ! it was a bunch of ass play, I didn't even stay long to see his cum face, but goddamn - ! it was the first time I let up on my monogamy views."

"Who? WHO? Who was sticking who? I bet he's a total animal and was devouring that skinny prick like a last meal!"

"Oh, Pornhub doesn't have a setup this amazing. I didn't even stay long. I had a nosebleed so bad, it was like a murder scene. Now I'm obsessed, and I'm angry because this is the most brutal thing that has ever happened to me! I should NOT be obsessed with no man this hard!"

"ATTENTION!"

Almost immediately, all of them reacted with dismay towards the voice that hollered from the main doorway nearby. Once they saw Luffy standing there in a stiff suit and tie, hair combed neatly with his hat dangling behind him, the other Strawhats dressed similarly in their own fashion, mouths dropped.

Only Kid turned away, blushing bright red as he covered his face with one hand, Bonney looking at him with concern.

"What's this, Strawhat? You called us here, again? You little shit," Crocodile snapped, tapping his hook against the table.

"What's with the pig suit?" Doflamingo asked skeptically. "You look ridiculous. You're trying too hard."

"Did your momma and poppa extend your curfew?" Drake asked with a snort, leaning back in his seat.

"Mock me all you want, you mouthy old bastards," Luffy said, walking up to the table, various minions forced to make a wide berth away from him, lest they suffered a blow from one of Zoro's swords, or caught the hard end of Nami's Clima-Tact, or a slap from one of Robin's hands. All the Strawhats spread themselves around the groups, taking up certain positions that caused many of the syndicate heads to bristle.

"Tonight, things are changing. Mihawk said he met with you, and warned you what was going to happen. And I made my decision! From tonight on, anything you do or say or plan for some future endeavor will have to be approved of by me," he said, grinning wide once many faces shifted with consternation.

"Bullshit!" Doflamingo shouted out. "We're not listening to you!"

"You're fucking delusional if you think we'd follow your orders!" Arlong cried, slamming his fist onto the table.

"Like I take lip from some boy," Bonney said with a snort.

"Disagree with me all you want," Luffy said, stretching his neck to peer around Crocodile's shoulder, retreating when the man threatened to decapitate him. "But we're here, and we're doing this. I understand that the transitional period for all you old codgers will be a hardship, but you younger set – we understand each other quite well. You want street rep? You want a foothold in respect? Then you follow the rules that these guys built during their time here."

Apoo, Bonney and Kid laughed.

"Like we'd take someone like you seriously," Apoo cried. "Little nose picker."

"What, like I gotta call you up and tell ya when I'm getting my nails done?" Kid asked. "That's brutal. Hell with that."

"I don't take orders from no man," Bonney roared.

"Then you'll take them from another woman," Nami warned her, leaning over her chair as Robin leaned around the other side to smile down at her.

When Bonney moved to touch them both, arms sprang out of her own forehead and shoved her hands flat onto the table. Bonney's girls grumbled and started to act, but a low vibration began, warning them not to make a move as Nami faced them. They backed off, touching their hair and clothes as the sensation of static electricity caused them a little distress.

"We need to return this organization back to what it used to be," Luffy said, reaching out and snatching Bonney's chips, causing her to exclaim. Stuffing his mouth with chips, he continued to speak. "When we had rules and shit. All of you bastards are out of control, and embarrassing yourselves. Like, you're all a big joke, now. All of you used to be respected, but not now. It's because you lack rules that you look this way. I'm here to whip you into shape!"

"So we'll be fighting a lot, huh, Sanji?" Gin asked, leaning back in his chair to look at him with a devilish grin. "I'll be looking forward to that."

"Calm down. It's only if you step over the line," Sanji told him.

"You can bet I'll be toying with that line a lot."

"Can you not flirt while you're on the clock?" Pearl asked Gin impatiently.

"Does this mean you won't be cooking for us, anymore?" Doflamingo asked Sanji, reaching out and pushing Gin's chair away so that Sanji could focus on him.

Corazon continued playing on his phone, letting everyone else drown each other out with protests, arguments and exclamations over Luffy's decision.

Luffy was laughing and eating all of Bonney's chips, not really caring about the animosity building, Zoro ready to fight. Ussop was hiding behind him, slingshot at the ready.

"I still can," Sanji reassured him. "Just follow the rules."

"You realize this is the end of it, right?"

"It's not the end. Not when we're coming over for dinner tomorrow night."

"No olives, or you both get shot."

"Tell Law to bring me my book I loaned him," Corazon said. "It's really important. I need it back."

"Hush, I'm talking to my daughter," Doflamingo told him, big finger over his red lips. Corazon slapped his hand away.

"I am not your daughter!' Sanji exclaimed, kicking his chair. "I am obviously a man!"

"I get confused, sometimes, especially when your voice gets all shrilly like that."

"This is going to be a mess," Zoro observed, mainly to himself as Sanji's familiarity with the Donquixote family showed a bias factor that might prove troublesome later on down the road.

"it'll be fine," Luffy assured him, misreading the situation. "Look! They're all in agreement!"

"That they hate us, yes."

"Not only that, but we made a good choice. The more they hate us, the more they have to make us make them follow the rules," Luffy added, hitting fist within palm, a dangerous gleam to his eyes.

"There's that."

Luffy laughed in delight. "This is going to be so fun!"

: :

"Well? How'd it go?" Law asked curiously as Zoro returned Sanji home, just a little after midnight.

"They took it as expected," Zoro answered. "A lot of tears and threats and clothes were thrown."

"Mostly Bonney's," Sanji said. "She threw her panties at Zoro as we were leaving. It was rather shocking."

"Aren't you popular?" Law commented with a disgusted expression.

Sanji then stared at him, Zoro rolling his eyes, digging in the fridge for something to snack on before settling on a Tupperware case full of something that needed a microwave. With a loud yawn, he said, "Later", and was gone.

Law looked after him with a frown. "Did he just snag the last piece of lasagna I was saving for later?"

"He did. And what's this." Sanji looked down at him, tugging off his scarf and removing his jacket.

"I'm studying."

"And Chopper?"

"I don't know. He's your pet."

Sanji looked from Chopper to him, trying not to be delighted. The reindeer had fallen asleep on the man's lap, holding tightly onto a binded edition of a recent neurobiology essay, and Law was holding his book at an angle to avoid disturbing him.

"You guys are getting along."

"I was cold. Momo has fur. It all makes sense."

"It's Chopper, ass. Not 'Momo'."

"I keep getting them mixed up. Anyway, anything else?" Law asked him, shoving Chopper to the side to get up, the reindeer rolling into the cushions with a snort. But all he did was resettle back into a comfortable position, and Sanji leaned over to pull a throw blanket over him, the one he used to cover himself with when he went smoking in the mornings.

"No, not really. All of them reacted predictably. We should have our hands full."

"That's real cute, I'm sure they liked the idea of the Strawhats keeping them in line."

"Of course! After hearing their opinion, it was decided that nothing else could be said on the matter, since Luffy had made up his mind. Oh, and Cora said for you to bring that book over when we meet them for dinner, tomorrow night," Sanji said. "

You realize how awkward it's going to be, trying to keep those two in line, right?" Law asked, turning off the lights and locking the door as Sanji looked over Chopper one more time.

He left a nightlight on in the corner of the living room, then followed after the other man. Shachi was sleeping in his room, textbook over his face and his headphones on, so Sanji turned off his lights and shut the door. "They're not going to like that you're telling them what to do."

"I won't 'tell' them what to do, I'll just gently suggest that whatever it is they're doing wrong, they're doing wrong," Sanji said, leaning down to slip off his shoes. "But I do see that we have a long road ahead of us. I see that we have a lot of work in proving ourselves to these people that we're capable of performing certain duties in order to maintain balance in this lifestyle."

"It probably wasn't that easy for Zeff, but he's a respectable lout, and you kids are just…kids," Law said, reaching out and undoing his tie for him. "With a lot to prove. Almost no one can take you seriously, especially with Strawhat at the helm."

"It'll be fun, though," Sanji admitted, reaching over and undoing his belt, slipping the leather out from his belt loops. "I'd like to see where this takes us. There's a lot going for us in the future."

"Chopper was talking about his own experience with the Tea Party," Law said, pulling off his suit jacket and neatly folding that to put it aside. "He'd created his own cure. He said he would like to assist with yours. He actually has a very brilliant mind for a pet. He didn't say much when I'd visit Kureha, but he knew his books."

"He's not a pet."

"He's not a child, either. You can't take him in as one."

"I didn't say I was! I said he had no one else, and I'm that person for him."

"As long as you're aware that this is all you making this decision – "

"Who is this talking?" Sanji asked, reaching up to pull on his goatee so that he could pull his face down to allow him to look up into his eyes. "Is this you talking, or is this Doffy?'

"Shut up, I'm very sensitive to that topic!" Law snapped at him, jerking his head back and ripping open his shirt, buttons flying.

"Stop! You touchy scoundrel, this is a nice shirt!"

"I'll just buy you a new one. You're feeling well, right?"

"Depends," Sanji said, blushing a little as he attempted to cover himself because Law was looking at him a little too closely. "Not so loud, though. We have guests."

"So, I'm faced with coy, shy Sanji, now," Law observed, pulling his shirt off his shoulders and flinging the material away. "Shachi's passed out. He can't stop me, this time."

"Chopper might not understand what's happening – you're so aggressive, he might think you're killing me, or something," Sanji protested, stiffening as Law's hands settled over his bare waist, thumbs moving over his abs before lifting and rubbing lightly at his nipples.

With a sigh of impatience, Law left him, shut and locked the door – then pushed the dresser up against it. Sanji had to snicker because drastic measures were needed. Then Law returned to him, pushing him towards the bed, following him down atop of it. Wrapping his arms around his neck, Sanji held him close so that they could kiss, feeling one of Law's hands come between them, touching his bared skin.

Nervous over what could happen, Sanji let him dictate the movement, shifting his hips slightly so he could wrap a leg around his. Law's hand went from his stomach down over his pants, palming his half-hardened erection. Feeling his body respond eagerly made him feel light headed, but after doing this with Law previously, Sanji didn't feel quite so shy. He helped the other man out of his clothes, lightly kissing exposed flesh and using his hands to touch and appreciate what was given to him. He marveled at the feel of muscle in his back, at the trim width of his waist, and liked the way it all pressed down on top of him as Law undressed him and resettled over him once more.

Sanji reached up to shift his fingers through Law's hair as the man moved, kissing his way from Sanji's neck to his chest, his hands moving over Sanji's form with near rough action.

Sanji covered his mouth with one hand once he felt Law's fingers encircle and stroke his erection. He couldn't help but lift his hips up to assist with the light pumping motion, shifting his legs around to open wider for him. He could feel Law kissing the line at his hips, the bony part just above his thigh.

The scrape of his facial hair against his sensitive skin made him want to pull away, ticklish. He reached out and pulled him back up to his face with an embarrassed noise, Law frowning at him as he was interrupted.

"You're going to make me loud," Sanji told him with a self-conscious air.

"That's the point. I like hearing your voice."

"No. Quietly. Just kiss me until I'm ready," Sanji said, coaxing his head to his. "There's another time for that. I'm ready for you, now."

"Hold on, tiger," Law said, kissing him briefly before reaching over to the nightstand, shifting Sanji's legs around him as he did so. "You're always taking huge steps, ignoring the ones in between."

Sanji reached up to cover his own mouth once he visually appreciated all of the naked man before him, reaching out with his other hand to touch and feel all the ridges and indentations visual to him. When lube slicked fingers touched his opening below, he tensed slightly, feeling apprehensive the more he looked at the organ Law intended on using on him.

He decided not to look anymore, because he could feel himself tightening up as Law gently slipped a finger in. he leaned over and kissed Sanji, tasting the slight metallic edge beyond the taste of ash. He withdrew his tongue immediately, not wanting a repeat of that one time, but as he stretched and played with Sanji's hole, he used his other hand to stroke him. Sanji was trying to keep quiet, but little noises escaped him, his fingers clenching on Law's flesh, lightly scraping his nails over his muscle.

Once he was able to use two fingers, Law settled over him, pulling his hips to him so that Sanji's legs were dangling against his own. Those long limbs locked over him, Sanji looking up at him with trust and desire, face flushed. He lifted his hips at the same time Law did, reaching down to press up against his lube-slicked opening. Sanji was too afraid to look, tilting his head back with nervous apprehension, and when he felt the beginning of the invasion, he whimpered slightly, breathing hard, covering his face because his pain-filled expression was too great.

 _"Ah…it_ h _urts_ ," he whispered, panicked.

"Just breathe out," Law said, almost unhelpfully because he was finally getting the ass he'd always dreamed about, and he wasn't going to stop until it was fully his.

" _It's too big_!" Sanji moaned, reaching out to either push Law's hips or grab hold, and his fingers just automatically reached up and ensnared his hair, arms tense around his head. "It's too big, take it out."

Then he cried out again as Law snagged his erection with one lube slicked hand, stroking him roughly as he concentrated on easing past the ring of muscle that clamped hard around him. With Sanji's noises, the way his flexible body moved in an effort to alleviate the pain of his first time, Law felt all reasonable thought leave his head. He was just so focused on the act – a little scared to be interrupted – that once he was all the way, he felt himself struggling to maintain control over his own body, over his own mindless action.

Sanji breathed heavily, uttering noises that escaped a panicked throat, knees trembling against him. He wondered how it was possible for anyone to get pleasure from this act, feeling Law's dick throbbing deep inside of him. Hearing the other man's low breathing, feeling the way he awkwardly stroked his dick now that he was crouched over him.

"Uh, it hurts, you're so _big,_ I can't - !" Sanji was saying, almost in a desperate whisper as he felt himself tightening again. he could feel his eyes burning, embarrassed about it.

When Law shifted to look at him, he made a funny expression, one that made Sanji breathe tightly, reaching out to push his own hands down the length of his body, unsure of where to push the pain away. Then uttered a low noise as Law shifted over him, giving a grumbling noise. Sanji felt his skin grow surprisingly hot, and he felt his dick twitching – his own legs shook against Law's sides, too weak to grip.

Then Law looked over him again, and Sanji realized he was wearing a surprisingly embarrassed expression.

 _"What,"_ he questioned immediately, reaching up and out to grip his biceps as Law propped himself over him, hair hanging over his face.

"I came. I didn't even have a chance," Law confessed.

Sanji stared at him for a few moments, then said seriously, "I can't believe after all these years, you're a one minute man."

"SHUT UP, it's because of all those years I couldn't help myself!"

"That's all it's going to take from now on, is a minute."

"SHUT UP, SANJI."

Sanji started to laugh, realizing that it didn't hurt so much, anymore, now that the other man's dick was softening. It was just awkward, the after part, when Law had no more strength to hold himself up and Sanji kept laughing because it hadn't been so bad after all. Law bit him on the chest with an embarrassed look, and Sanji stopped laughing to look at him.

"Okay, okay. Fine. That's okay. We just have to do it again, a few times, until you can learn to master yourself," he teased, Law's face and ears bright red with mortification.

Sanji laughed again, reaching up to embrace him tightly, kissing the top of his head, stroking his hot ears. He was relieved that it was over, but at the same time, he was looking forward to next time. After all, it didn't feel that bad.

After clean up and both of them were laying in bed, Sanji poked his cheek a couple of times. Law was still mad at himself, and Sanji couldn't help but be amused.

"Well, guess I don't need this, anymore," Law said sullenly, lifting his hand and pulling off the ring he'd worn all this time. Sanji looked it, realizing that it was only vaguely familiar – other than seeing it on his hand. He reached for it, examining the inside as Law scratched idly at the tanline left behind.

"'True Love Waits', huh? Is this a purity thing?" Sanji asked, trying it on his own fingers and finding a perfect fit on his ring finger. "There's no way you're that pure."

"Hush, you. It was yours. You gave it to me along time ago," Law said patiently. At that, Sanji did remember seeing it on his own hand. Once he had the memory, other smaller memories came to him. Including the reason why he'd given it to Law in the first place. He burned with surprised horror and realization as he sorted through the jumble of images and noises that came with it.

"Time for a new one, then," he said, tossing the ring aside, not wanting to remember anymore of that.

"Yeah. Maybe."

Sanji waited for a couple of moments before mumbling, "Hopefully you last more than a minute during the rest of our time together."

"SHUT UP! God, I hate you! Why do I even like you?"

Sanji laughed loudly as Law hit him with a pillow and turned away from him with a low grumble, reaching out to turn off the lights.

"I love you, you homo."

"I guess I can love you back, you brat."


End file.
